I
THE COMPLETE WORKS
OF
SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI,
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH,
Bishop of Saint Agatha, and Founder of the Congregation of the Most
Holy Redeemer.
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN.
EDITED BY
IRE^T- IE TJ C- IE 3ST E O- IR I HUE 3VC ,
Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
THE ASCETICAL WORKS.
Volume XII.
DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST;
OE,
SELVA.
A COLLECTION OF MATERIAL FOR ECCLESIASTICAL RETREATS.
RULE OF LIFE AND SPIRITUAL RULES,
®tntcnarj; IStrition.
THE COMPLETE ASGETICAL VOEKS
OF
ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIQUOR!,
18 vols., Price, per vol., net, $1.25.
Each book is complete in itself, and any volume will 6«
gold separtite1y»
Volume I.
II.
«' III.
*' IV.
V.
VI.
" VII.
PREPARATION FOR DEATH ; or, Considerations on the Eter
nal Truths. Maxims of Eternity— Rule of Life.
WAY OF SALVATION AND OF PERFECTION : Meditations.
Pious Reflections. Spiritual Treatises.
GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION AND OF PERFECTION :
Prayer. Mental Prayer. The Exercises of a Retreat.
Choice of a State of Life, and the Vocation to the
Religious State and to the Priesthood.
THE INCARNATION, BIRTH AND INFANCY OF JESUS
CHRIST ; or, The Mysteries of Faith.
THE PASSION AND THE DEATH of JESUS CHRIST.
THE HOLY EUCHARIST. The Sacrifice, the Sacrament,
and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. Practice of Love
of Jesus Christ. Novena to the Holy Ghost.
VIII. GLORIES OF MART: i. Explanation of the Salve
Regina, or Hail, Holy Queen. Discourses on the Feasts
of Mary. 2. Her Dolors. Her Virtues. Practices.
Examples. Answers to Critics. — Devotion to the Holy
Angels. Devotion to St. Joseph. Novena to St. Teresa.
Novena for the Repose of the Souls in Purgatory.
VICTORIES OF THE MARTYRS ; or, the Lives of the Most
Celebrated Martyrs of the Church.
XL THE TRUE SPOUSE OF JESUS CHRIST : i. The first
sixteen Chapters. 2. The last eight Chapters. Appendix
and various small Works. Spiritual Letters.
DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST ; or, SELVA, a
collection of Material for Ecclesiastical Retreats. Rule
of Life and Spiritual Rules.
THE HOLY MASS : Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ceremonies
of the Mass. Preparation and Thanksgiving. The Mass
and the Office that are hurriedly said.
THE DIVINE OFFICE : Explanation of the Psalms and
Canticles.
PREACHING :
Counsels.
Sacraments.
SERMONS FOR SUNDAYS.
VARIOUS SMALLER WORKS : Discourses on Calamities.
Reflections useful for Bishops. Seminaries. Ordi
nances. Letters.
CONGREGATION OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER : Rule.
Instructions about the Religious State. Letters and
Circulars. Lives of two Fathers and of a Lay-brother.
General Alphabetical Index.
Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago.
IX.
X.
" XII.
" XIII.
" XIV.
" XV.
11 XVI.
" XVII.
'XVIII.
The Exercises of the Missions. Various
Instructions on the Commandments and
DIGNITY AND DUTIES
OF THE PRIEST;
OR,
SELVA.
A COLLECTION OF MATERIALS FOR ECCLESIASTICAL RE
TREATS. RULE OF LIFE AND SPIRITUAL RULES.
BY
ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI,
Doctor of the Church.
EDITED BY
REV. EUGENE GRIMM,
Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO:
Printers to the Holy Apostolic See.
R. WASHBOURNE, M. H. GILL & SON,
18 PATERNOSTER Row, LONDON. 50 UPPER O'CONNELL STREET, DUBLIN.
1889.
APPROBATION.
By virtue of the authority granted me by the Most Rev. Nicholas
Mauron, Superior-General of the Congregation of the Most Holy
Redeemer, I hereby sanction the publication of the work entitled
"" DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST," etc., which is Volume XII.
of the new and complete edition in English of the works of St.
Alphonsus de Liguori, called " The Centenary Edition."
ELIAS FRED. SCHAUER,
Sup. Prov. Baltimore)! sis.
BALTIMORE, MD., August 15, 1888.
Copyright, 1888, by Elias Frederick Schauer.
NOTICE.
WE begin the series of works composed especially for
the clergy.1 The work that comes first appeared in 1760
after the True Spouse of Jesus Christ, when the author
had attained the age of sixty-four. It is the fruit of re
searches and of studies that he had made during nearly
forty years, either for the purpose of regulating his own
conduct, or of directing ecclesiastical retreats, and ex
ercises which, by order of the archbishop, he preached for
the first time to the clergy of Naples, in 1732, when he
had been a priest only six years. He was then regarded
as a model for imitation, and as a master worthy of being
intrusted with the duty of educating ministers of the
sanctuary of every grade.
This book is one that has had most success, thus
giving us a high idea of the good that it has effected.
It was at once translated into the principal languages of
Europe. There are at least five translations of it in
French, among which the translation by Mgr. Gaume,
an author of very many valuable works, deservedly
holds a high rank. To several of these translations the
first word of the Italian title Selva* has been given, the
word Selva meaning wood, forest, material, collection of
1 Volumes XIII. and XIV. treat of the Holy Mass and of the divine
Office; volumes XV. and XVI. of missions and of preaching, and
a subsequent volume containing Pastoral letters.
2 Selva di materie predicabili ed istruttive, per dare gli esercizj ai
Preti, ed anche per uso di lezione privata a prcprio profitto ; the transla
tion of this we give as the sub-title of the work.
6 Notice.
matter. We have, however, preferred to give to this
work and to this volume a title that clearly expresses
its aim, namely, DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST.
The author informs us in his preface that he did not
endeavor to put much order into the collection of ideas
suitable for each subject; we, however, perceive that
there is more order in it than he would have us believe.
In order the better to understand the author, we have,
as much as possible, divided each subject into para
graphs; by such an arrangement the subjects are not
only more easily grasped and retained, but we may most
conveniently use this book either for meditation or for
spiritual reading.
We think it to be not amiss if we call to mind what
we have elsewhere said, namely, that all the citations
from authors, accompanied by references to the margin,
have been carefully verified and corrected when neces
sary. St. Alphonsus was not always able to draw from
original sources: he was often obliged to content him
self with what was offered him by the authors whom he
had at hand, and who themselves only reproduced the
mistakes of their predecessors, which were increased by
the mistakes of copyists or of printers. Hence it was
necessary to consult the original texts in order to obtain
exact citations.
As to the value and utility of this Collection, we take
pleasure in quoting the following passage from the
preface of Mgr. Gaume:
" We have Massillon, Sevoy, le Miroir du dergc. What
have you ? — three authorities that are without doubt re
spectable; but they are, after all, private authorities,
and your reason, so often the dupe of such authorities,
hesitates, distrusts, and using its right, judges, adopts,
rejects, and never raises itself to a philosophical faith.
Useful at all times, these works — monuments of elo
quence or of piety — suffice no longer at the present day.
Notice. 7
To the vast development of error we must oppose the
analogous development of truth; to this invasion of
private spirit we must oppose the imposing authority of
the Catholic spirit. Read Selva, and say whether it is
possible to reach this end in a better manner. Here is
not man's thought that is given to you as a rule for
your thought: it is the thought of ages; it is not the
Bishop of St. Agatha; ' it is solely tradition that preaches
that instructs, that forbids, that commands, that en
courages, or that terrifies. This book is as a sacred
tribune from which speak one after another the prophets,
the apostles, the apostolic men, the martyrs, the soli
taries, the most illustrious pontiffs of the East and the
West, the most famous Doctors, the most skilful masters
of the science of the saints, the successors of St. Peter
and the councils, the organs of the Holy Ghost; in a
word, antiquity, the middle ages, modern times, the
entire Church.
"In the midst of this august assembly what does the
holy bishop do ? Nearly always he limits his task to the
modest role of a narrator; often even he leaves to you
the care of drawing conclusions. There are no long
reasonings, inductions, special interpretations. In this
consist the particular merit and providential character
of Selva. More than at any other epoch did the world
and the clergy, who should save the world, stand in
need of Catholic thought, and the saint gives it pure
and entire; he feared to weaken it by mingling his own
with it. . . ."2
1 St. Alphonsus was not yet a bishop when he published this work;
he was appointed to this office two years later.
2 We read in a treatise entitled L'INFALLIBILITE ET LE CONCILE
GENERAL, ch. 8, written by Cardinal Dechamps, a note that is to the
point. After having called St. Alphonsus " the most faithful and the
most powerful Echo of tradition in modern times," the eloquent Car
dinal explains that our author was, however, not a simple echo in his
dogmatical, in his moral. .or in his ascetical works, on which he passes
8 Notice.
This is the language of Mgr. Gaume, and we must
acknowledge that such is in fact the power of this book;
but this power is equalled by the unction that accom
panies it, as is the case with the other works of this
author, and both its unction and its power are supported
by the example of his life. One may in some manner
say of him what was said of our divine Saviour: Cxpit
facere, et docere — " He began to do and to teach " (Acts ii.).
The following are the rules of conduct that he composed
for himself at the time he entered the ecclesiastical state,
to serve for his guidance as a candidate for the priest
hood:
1. The cleric should frequent the society of holy
priests, to be edified by their example.
2. He should spend at least one hour daily in mental
prayer, that he may live in fervor and recollection.
3. He should visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently,
especially during the time of exposition.
4. He should read the lives of holy priests, that he
may imitate their virtues.
5. He must cultivate a special devotion to the Holy
a eulogy which he concludes as follows: " Among his ascetical works
there is one that St. Alphonsus has modestly entitled a COLLECTION
of texts. At first sight one might believe that this is true; but if one
reads the book attentively one sees that the thought of the author -is
the framework of the whole, and that the strongest and the sweetest
that tradition contains he skilfully adapts to the service of his pen.
We know that nothing is more difficult than the composing of such a
work, in which the texts are not in juxtaposition, but are united by a
living thought that revivifies them. If St. Alphonsus is an echo, it is
after the fashion of St. Bernard." This judgment seems to us to be
perfectly just; we thence conclude that our venerated author is an
echo that thinks, that admirably chooses the most proper sounds to
express his thought with an irresistible energy; but he also knows
how to speak in another manner when the subject demands it, as one
may especially see in his Fourth Instruction, in which he speaks of
preaching and the administration of the sacrament of Penance.
Notice. 9
Virgin, the Mother and Queen of the clergy, and conse
crate himself particularly to her service.
6. For the honor of the ecclesiastical state he must be
most careful of his reputation.
7. He should flee from worldly conversation, and not
be too familiar with the laity, especially women.
8. Seeing God in his Superiors, he must obey them,
because such is the divine will.
9. He should be modest, but without affectation,
severity, or fastidiousness; and he should always wear
the cassock and tonsure.
10. He should be quiet and gentle at home, exemplary
in class, and edifying in church, especially during the
public offices.
11. He should confess every eight days, and commu
nicate still oftener.
12. He should live free from sin, and practise every
virtue.
The young Levite, whose virtue and talents we have
admired in another career, edified the whole city of
Naples by a constantly increasing fervor while ascend
ing the different degrees of the sanctuary. At the end
of a preparation of three years he was judged worthy
to be elevated by a dispensation to the dignity of the
priesthood. This took place December 21, 1726. He
then wrote the following resolutions:
1. I am a priest; my dignity is above that of the
angels. I should then lead a life of angelic purity, and
I am obliged to strive for this by all possible means.
2. A God deigns to obey my voice. I should with far
greater reason obey his speaking to me through his in
spirations or my Superiors.
3. The holy Church has honored me: I must there
fore honor myself by sanctity of life, by my zeal and
labors, etc.
4. I offer to the Eternal Father Jesus Christ, his Son:
io Notice.
it is then my duty to clothe myself with the virtues of
Jesus Christ, that I may become fit for my office.
. 5. Christian people see in me a minister of reconcilia
tion, a mediator between God and man; consequently I
must always keep myself in the grace and friendship of
God.
6. The faithful desire to see in me a model of the
virtues to which they should aspire; I must then be
edifying always and under all circumstances.
7. Poor sinners that have lost the light of grace come
to me to be spiritually resuscitated: I must therefore
aid them by my prayers, exhortations, and good ex
ample.
8. Courage is necessary to triumph over the world,
the flesh, and the devil; I must then correspond with
divine grace that I may combat these virtues victoriously.
9. To defend religion and fight against error and
impiety, one must have knowledge. I will then strive,
by every means within my reach, to acquire the neces
sary knowledge.
10. Human respect and worldly friendships dishonor
the priesthood; I will then avoid them.
11. Ambition and self-interest have often caused
priests to lose their faith; I must then abhor these
vices as sources of reprobation.
12. Gravity should accompany charity in a priest; I
will then be prudent and reserved, especially with re
gard to women, without being proud, rough, or dis
dainful.
13. I can please God only by recollection, fervor,
and solid virtue, which nourish the holy exercise of
prayer; I will then neglect nothing which may tend to
their acquisition.
14. I should seek only the glory of God, my own
sanctification, and the salvation of souls; consequently,
I must achieve these ends though it should cost my life.
Notice. 1 1
15. I am a priest; it is my duty to inspire virtue in
all with whom I come in contact, and to glorify Jesus
Christ, the eternal High-priest.1
Such was the aurora of this star that was to pass
through so grand a career, and raise itself to so high a
perfection. Quasi lux splendens, procedit, et crescit usque
ad perfectam diem — " As a shining light goeth forwards *
and increaseth even to perfect day" (Prov. iv. 18).
Our saint is already recognized as one of the purest
lights that God has sent to illumine the world. Quasi
sol refulgens, sic ille effulsit in templo Dei — " As the sun
when it shineth, so did he shine in the temple of God"
(Ecclus. 1. 7). A new ray has been added to his glory:
he has been declared a Doctor of the Church. Let us
not omit to profit by his teachings and imitate his vir
tues in order that we may one day share in his eternal
happiness.
Live Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Alphonsus !
t, 1. i, ch. n.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
APPROBATION -4
NOTICE, . . .5
ADMONITIONS NECESSARY FOR HIM WHO GIVES THE SPIRITUAL
EXERCISES TO PRIESTS, .19
PART I.
MATERIAL FOR SERMONS.
CHAPTER I. THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD . . . 23
I. Idea of the priestly dignity, 23.
II. Importance of the priestly office, 24.
III. Grandeur of the priestly power, 26.
IV. The dignity of the priest surpasses all other created
dignities, 29.
V. Elevation of the post occupied by the priest, 33.
VI. Conclusion, 37.
CHAPTER II. THE END OF THE PRIESTHOOD, . . . .39
I. The priesthood appears to the saints a formidable charge,
SO
IL What is the end of the priesthood, 41.
III. Principal duties of the priest, 43.
CHAPTER III. THE SANCTITY NECESSARY FOR THE PRIEST, . 48
I. What should be the sanctity of the priest by reason of his
dignity, 48.
II. What should be the sanctity of the priest as the minister
of the altar, 55.
III. What should be the sanctity of the priest as mediator
between God and man, 59.
IV. What should be the sanctity of the priest given to the
people to be their model, 62.
V. Practical consequences, 64.
CHAPTER IV GRIEVOUSNESS AND CHASTISEMENT OF SIN IN A
PRIEST, ....... 70
I. Grievousness of sin in a priest, 70.
II. Chastisement of the sinful priest, 75.
III. Exhortation, 82.
1 4 Contents.
PAGE
CHAPTER V. THE INJURY THAT TEPIDITY DOES TO A PRIEST, 88
I. To what the tepid priest is exposed, 88.
II. A priest cannot be satisfied with avoiding grievous sins,
97-
III. Exhortation, 101.
CHAPTER VI. THE SIN OF INCONTINENCE, . . . .107
I. Necessity of purity in the priest, 107.
II. Malice of impurity in the priest, 109.
III. Sad effects of impurity, 113.
Blindness of the soul, 113. Obstinacy of the will, 117.
Eternal damnation, 119.
IV. Remedies for incontinence, 120.
CHAPTER VII. THE SACRILEGIOUS MASS, . ' . . .122
I. Purity required in the priest to celebrate worthily, 122.
II. How great is the crime of the priest that celebrates Mass
in mortal sin, 125.
CHAPTER VIII. THE SIN OF SCANDAL, . . . .138
CHAPTER IX. THE ZEAL OF THE PRIEST, . . . .154
I. The obligation of every priest to labor for the salvation of
souls, 154.
II. The pleasure that a priest who labors for the salvation of
souls gives to God, 166.
III. How secure the priest who labors for the salvation of souls
renders his own salvation, and how great the reward
that he shall receive in heaven, 172.
IV. The end, the means, and the labors of the priest who has
zeal, 177.
The end to be proposed, 177. Means to be em
ployed, 178. Works of a zealous priest, 180.
CHAPTER X. THE VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD, . . .185
I. Necessity of a divine vocation to take Holy Orders, 185.
II. Marks of a divine vocation to the sacerdotal state, 189.
i. Purity of intention, 192. 2. Science and talents, 193.
3. Positive goodness of character, 194.
III. To what dangers one exposes one's self by taking Holy
Orders without a vocation, 198.
PART II.
MATERIAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
INSTRUCTION I. THE CELEBRATION OF MASS, . . . .208
I. Importance of the Holy Sacrifice and what it exacts of
the priest, 208.
II. The preparation for Mass, 213.
III. The reverence and the devotion with which the priest
should celebrate Mass, 217.
IV. Thanksgiving after Mass, 226.
V. The priest who abstains from saying Mass. 228.
Contents. 1 5
PAGE
INSTRUCTION II. THE GOOD EXAMPLE THAT THE PRIEST SHOULD
GIVE, . ... . . . -230
INSTRUCTION III. THE CHASTITY OF THE PRIEST, . . .243
I. The merit of this virtue, and its necessity to the priest,
240.
II. Means of preserving chastity, 247.
Flight of the occasion, 248. Mortification, 258. Prayer,
261.
INSTRUCTION IV. PREACHING AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE
SACRAMENT OF PENANCE, . . , .265
I. Preaching, 265.
II. Administration of the Sacrament of Penance, 271.
Grave responsibility of confessors, 271. The knowledge
required to hear confessions well, 273. Charity and firm
ness that the confessor should have, 274. How to act in
regard to those living in the occasion of sin and those who
are relapsing sinners, 281.
INSTRUCTION V. MENTAL PRAYER 289
I. Necessity of mental prayer 'for priests, 289.
II. Answer to excuses, 293."
III. The recitation of the divine Office, 302.
INSTRUCTION VI. HUMILITY, ....... 305
I. Necessity of humility, 305.
II. The practice of humility, 309.
To have a horror of pride, 309. Not to glory in the
good that we do, 312. We must distrust ourselves, 315.
'£o accept humiliations, 319.
INSTRUCTION VII. MEEKNESS, ....... 322
I. We must repress anger, 323.
II. We must bear contempt, 330.
INSTRUCTION VIII. MORTIFICATION, AND PARTICULARLY IN
TERIOR MORTIFICATION, . . . 337
I. Necessity of mortification in general, 337,
II. Necessity of interior mortification, 341.
III. The practice of interior mortification, 345.
Property, 345. Honors, 351. Relatives, 354. Self-
will, 357. Means of conquering self-will, 360.
INSTRUCTION IX. EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION, .... 362
I. Necessity of exterior mortification, 362.
II. Practice of exterior mortification, 306.
The eyes and the whole exterior, 367. The taste or
appetite, 374. The touch, 377. Involuntary mortifica
tions, 379.
Ill The good that is derived from a mortified life, 380.
INSTRUCTION X. THE LOVE OF GOD, ..... 384
I. Special obligation for the priest to belong entirely to God,
384-
II. Means to be employed for belonging entirely to God, 391.
Desire for perfection, 391. The intention of pleasing
1 6 Contents.
PAGE
God in all things, 395. Patience in pains and humilia
tions, 399. Conformity to the will of God, 403.
INSTRUCTION XI. DEVOTION TO MOST HOLY MARY, . . 409
I. Moral necessity of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin,
409.
II. Confidence that we should have in the intercession of the
Mother of God. 414.
III. Practice of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, 421.
APPENDIX.
RULE OF LIFE FOR A SECULAR PRIEST, 427
I. Morning exercises, 427.
The first acts on rising, 427. Mental prayer, 428. The
holy Mass, 428. Confessions and study, 429. Remark
in regard to the order of the exercises, 430. Dinner,
430.
II. Exercises after dinner, 431.
Spiritual reading, 431. The visit to the Blessed Sacra
ment and to the Blessed Virgin, 432. Recreation, 433.
III. Exercises of the evening, 433.
Before supper, 433. Supper, 433. The last acts before
going to bed, 434.
IV. Exercises that are not performed every day, 434.
Confession, 434. The monthly retreat, 434. Special
counsels, 435.
SPIRITUAL RULES FOR A PRIEST WHO ASPIRES TO PERFECTION, 436
To avoid sin, and trouble after sin, 436. Efficacious desire
to advance in the love of God, 437. Devotion to the Passion
of our Lord and to the Blessed Sacrament, 438. The intention
of doing all for God, 439. Love of solitude and of silence,
439. Conformity to the will of God, 441. Desire for death,
442. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, 442. To be humble of
heart, 443. To render good for evil, 444. Interior and exterior
mortification, 444. To pray without ceasing, 445.
SPIRITUAL MAXIMS FOR A PRIEST, ...... 446
EXHORTATION TO YOUNG MEN WHO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO
THE STUDY OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL SCIENCES, . . , 449
They should, above all, endeavor to make progress in the
science of the saints, 449.
DISCOURSE ON THE NECESSITY OF MENTAL PRAYER FOR PRIESTS, 454
I. Without mental prayer it is difficult for a priest to save
his soul, 455.
II. Without mental prayer it is impossible for the priest to
attain perfection, 462.
INDEX, 463
cm& Antics of tl)e priest;
OR SELVA,
A COLLECTION OF MATERIAL FOR SERMONS AND INSTRUCTIONS,
FOR ECCLESIASTICAL RETREATS,
AND ALSO FOR PRIVATE SPIRITUAL READING.
DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST.
Qt&moniticrns Nmssars for l)int rolio Qit^s tlje Spiritual
ta priests.
THE present little work is entitled " A Collection of
Materials," 1 and not Discourses or Spiritual Exercises,
because although I have endeavored to collect the
material belonging to each subject, I have not observed
the order necessary for a regular discourse, nor have I
extended the thoughts. They are given without order,
and expressed briefly, that the reader may select the
authorities, subjects, and thoughts that are most pleas
ing to him, and may afterwards arrange and extend
them as he pleases, and thus make the discourse his
own. For experience shows, that a preacher will scarce
ly deliver sentiments with fervor and zeal unless he has
first made them his own, at least by selecting them from
among others, and arranging and extending them, in
composing the discourse. Hence, I have taken from
different authors several passages that have the same
signification, so that the preacher may select those that
please him most.
I have said so much to explain the aim of the work.
Let him who gives the spiritual exercises to priests be
careful, first of all, to propose to himself a good end in
his instructions:
I. This end must be not to gain the character of a
man of learning, of talent, and of eloquence, but only
to give glory to God by the sanctification of his hearers.
1 Selva* . . . See Notice, page 5.
2o Admonitions.
II. Let him be careful not to seek to introduce into
his sermons ideas foreign to the subject, nor new and
lofty thoughts that serve only to fix the mind on the
beauty of the conceptions, but leave the will dry and
without fruit; let him be careful to say what he con
siders best calculated to move his hearers to make some
good resolution.
III. In order to attain that end, let him in his sermons
frequently remind the hearers of the truths of eternity,
by the consideration of which perseverance is obtained,
according to the words of the Holy Ghost: In all thy
works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.1 It is
true, indeed, that certain priests dislike sermons on the
last things, and are offended at seeing themselves treated
like seculars, as if they were not, as well as seculars, to
die and be judged. Let him, then, who gives the spiri
tual exercises not omit at least to remind the audience
several times of death, of judgment, and of eternity.
These are the truths best calculated to effect a change
of life in all that meditate upon them.
IV. Let the preacher be careful to inculcate as much
as possible what is practical. For example, the method
of making mental prayer, thanksgiving after Mass, the
correction of sinners, and above all the mode of hearing
confessions, particularly the confessions of relapsing sin
ners, or of those that are in the proximate occasion of
sin. In hearing the confessions of these two classes of
penitents, many confessors err, either by an excess of
rigor, or by too great a facility of giving absolution
(the latter is more frequent), and thus they are the
cause of the damnation of so many souls. Latin pas
sages are soon forgotten; only what is practical remains
in the mind.
V. Let the preacher be careful to treat with respect
1 " Memorare novissima tua, et in aeternum non peccabis." — Ecclus.
vii. 40.
Admonitions. 21
and sweetness the priests who listen to him. With
respect ; showing a veneration for them, often calling
them men of learning and of sanctity, and when he
inveighs against any vice, let him always speak in gen
eral terms, protesting that he speaks not of those that
are present. Let him guard, in a special manner, against
censuring any defect of any particular person, as also
against speaking in a tone of authority; but let him
endeavor to preach in a familiar style, which is the best
calculated to persuade and move. With respect and
with sweetness; let him, then, never appear angry, nor
ever break out into injurious words, which tend more to
irritate the mind than to excite piety.
VI. In sermons that are apt to strike terror, let him
not induce his hearers to despair of salvation or of
amendment. Let him always leave to all, however
abandoned, a means by which they may hope to change
their lives; animating them to confidence in the merits
of Jesus Christ, and in the intercession of the divine
Mother, and to have recourse by prayer to these two
great anchors of hope. Let the preacher, in almost all
his sermons, frequently and strongly recommend the
exercise of prayer, that is, the prayer of petition, which
is the only means of obtaining the graces necessary for
salvation.
VII. Finally, above all, let the preacher be careful to
expect the fruit not from his own labors, but from the
divine mercy, and from his prayers, begging of God to
give strength to his words. For wre know that, ordi
narily, sermons produce scarcely any fruit in priests,
and to induce, in the spiritual exercises, a priest to
change his life if he is a sinner, or to become fervent if
he is tepid, is almost a miracle, which seldom occurs.
Hence, the conversion of priests must be the fruit of
prayer more than of study.
PART I.
MATERIAL FOR SERMONS.
CHAPTER I.
THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD.
I.
Idea of the Priestly Dignity.
IN his epistle to the Christians of Smyrna, St. Ignatius,
Martyr, says that the priesthood is the most sublime of
all created dignities: "The apex of dignities is the
priesthood."1 St. Ephrem calls it an infinite dignity:
''The priesthood is an astounding miracle, great, im
mense, and infinite."1 St. John Chrysostom says, that
though its functions are performed on earth, the priest
hood should be numbered among the things of heaven.3
According to Cassian, the priest of God is exalted above
all earthly sovereignties, and above all celestial heights
— he is inferior only to God.4 Innocent III. says that the
1 "Omnium apex est Sacerdotium." — Epist. ad Sniyrn.
2 " Miraculum est stupendum, magna, immensa, infinita Sacerdoti
dignitas." — De Sacerdotio,
3 " Sacerdotium in terris peragitur sed in rerum coelestium ordinem
referendum est." — De Saccrd. 1. 3.
4 "O SaceVdos Dei ! si altitudinem coeli contemplaris, altior es; si
omnium dominorum sublimitatem, sublimior es; solo tuo Creatore in
ferior es." — Cat al, gloria mundi, p. 4, cons. 6.
24 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
priest is placed between God and man; inferior to God,
but superior to man.1
.St. Denis calls the priest a divine man.2 Hence he
has called the priesthood a divine dignity.3 In fine, St.
Ephrem says that the gift of the sacerdotal dignity sur
passes all understanding.4 For us it is enough to know,
that Jesus Christ has said that we should treat his
priests as we would his own person: He that heareth you,
heareth me; he that despiseth you, despiseth me? Hence St.
John Chrysostom says, that " he who honors a priest,
honors Christ, and he who insults a priest, insults
Christ.'" Through respect for the sacerdotal dignity,
St. Mary of Oignies used to kiss the ground on which a
priest had walked.
II.
Importance of the Priestly Office.
The dignity of the priest is estimated from the exalted
nature of his offices. Priests are chosen by God to
manage on earth all his concerns and interests. " Di
vine," says St. Cyril of Alexandria, "are the offices con
fided to priests."7 St. Ambrose has called the priestly
office a divine profession.8 A priest is a minister des
tined by God to be a public ambassador of the whole
Church, to honor him, and to obtain his graces for all
1 " Inter Deum et hominem medius constitutes; minor Deo, sed
major homine." — In Consccr. Pont. s. 2.
2 " Qui Sacerdotem dixit, prorsus divinum insinuat virum." — DC EccL
Hier. c. i.
3 "Angelica, imo divina est dignitas." — Ibid.
4 " Excedit omnem cogitationem donum dignitatis sacerdotalis." — De
Saccrd.
5 " Qui vos audit, me audit; et qui vos spernit, me spernit." — Luke,
x. 16.
6 "Qui honorat Sacerdotem Christi, honorat Christum; et qui injuriat
Sacerdotem Christi, injuriat Christum." — Hom. 17.
1 "Genus divinis ministeriis mancipatum." — DC Adorat. 1. 13.
8 " Deifica professio." — De Dignit. sac. c. 3.
CHAP. 1.1 The Dignity of the Priesthood. 25
the faithful. The entire Church cannot give to God
as much honor, nor obtain so many graces, as a single
priest by celebrating a single Mass; for the greatest
honor that the whole Church without priests could give
to God would consist in offering to him in sacrifice the
lives of all men. But of what value are the lives of all
men compared with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which
is a sacrifice of infinite value? What are all men before
God but a little dust ? As a drop of a bucket, ... . as a
little dust.1 They are but a mere nothing in his sight:
All nations are before him as if they had no being at all.
Thus, by the celebration of a single Mass, in which he
offers Jesus Christ in sacrifice, a priest gives greater
honor to the Lord, than if all men by dying for God
offered to him the sacrifice of their lives. By a single
Mass, he gives greater honor to God than all the angels
and saints, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, have
given or shall give to him; for their worship cannot be
of infinite value, like that which the priest celebrating on
the altar offers to God.
Moreover, in the holy Mass, the priest offers to God
an adequate thanksgiving for all the graces bestowed
even on the Blessed in Paradise; but such a thanks
giving all the saints together are incapable of offering
to him. Hence it is, that on this account also the
priestly dignity is superior even to all celestial dignities.
Besides, the priest, says St. John Chrysostom, is an am
bassador of the whole world, to intercede with God and
to obtain graces for all creatures.2 The priest, accord
ing to St. Ephrem, " treats familiarly with God."3 To
priests every door is open.
1 "Quasi stilla situlae, . . . pulvis exiguus. . . . Omnes gentes,
quasi non sint, sic sunt coram eo." — Isa. xl. 15, 17.
2 " Pro universo terrarum orbe legatus intercedit apud Deum." — De
Sacerd. \. 6.
3 "Cum Deo familiariter agit." — De Saccrdotio.
26 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not
necessary for the Redeemer to die in order to save the
world; a drop of his blood, a single tear, or prayer, was
sufficient to procure salvation for all; for such a prayer,
being of infinite value, should be sufficient to save not
one but a thousand worlds. But to institute the priest
hood, the death of Jesus Christ has been necessary.
Had he not died, where should we find the victim that
the priests of the New Law now offer? a victim alto
gether holy and immaculate, capable of giving to God
an honor worthy of God. As has been already said, all
the lives of men and angels are not capable of giving to
God an infinite honor like that which a priest offers to
him by a single Mass.
III.
Grandeur of the Priestly Power.
The dignity of the priest is also estimated from the
power that he has over the real and the mystic body of
Jesus Christ.
With regard to the power of priests over the real body
of Jesus Christ, it is of faith that when they pronounce
the words of consecration the Incarnate Word has
obliged himself to obey and to come into their hands
under the sacramental species. We are struck with
wonder when we hear that God obeyed the voice of
Josue — The Lord obeying the voice of man1 — and made
the sun stand when he said move not, O su/i, towards
Gabaon, . . . and the sun stood still? But our wonder
should be far greater when we find that in obedience to
the words of his priests — Hoc EST CORPUS MEUM — God
himself descends on the altar, that he comes wherever
they call him, and as often as they call him, and places
1 " Obediente Domino voci hominis." — Jos. x. 14.
2 " Sol, contra Gabaon ne movearis. . . . Stetit itaque sol in medio
coeli." — Ibid. x. 12.
CHAP, i.] The Dignity of the Priesthood. 2 7
himself in their hands, even though they should be his
enemies. And after having come, he remains, entirely
at their disposal; they move him as they please, from
one place to another; they may, if they wish, shut him
up in the tabernacle, or expose him on the altar, or
carry him outside the church; they may, if they choose,
eat his flesh, and give him for the food of others. " Oh,
how very great is their power," says St. Laurence Jus
tinian, speaking of priests. " A word falls from their lips
and the body of Christ is there substantially formed
from the matter of bread, and the Incarnate Word de
scended from heaven, is found really present on the
table of the altar ! Never did divine goodness give such
power to the angels. The angels abide by the order of
God, but the priests take him in their hands, distribute
him to the faithful, and partake of him as food for
themselves." ]
With regard to the mystic body of Christ, that is, all
the faithful, the priest has the power of the keys, or the
power of delivering sinners from hell, of making them
worthy of paradise, and of changing them from the
slaves of Satan into the children of God. And God
himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of his
priests, and either not to pardon or to pardon, according
as they refuse or give absolution, provided the penitent
is capable of it. " Such is," says St. Maximus of Turin,
" this judiciary power ascribed to Peter that its de
cision carries with it the decision of God."2 The sen
tence of the priest precedes, and God subscribes to it,
'• " Maxima illis est collata potestas! Ad eorum pene libitum, cor
pus Christi de panis transsubstantiatur materia; descendit de coelo in
carne Verbum, et altaris verissime reperitur inmensa! Hoc illis prse-
rogatur ex gratia, quod nusquam datum est Angelis. Hi assistunt
Deo; illi contrectant manibus, tribuunt populis, et in se suscipiunt." —
Serm. de Euchar.
8 " Tanta ei (Petro) potestas attributa est judicandi, ut in arbitrio
ejus poneretur cceleste judicium." — In Nat. B. Petri, horn. 3.
28 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
writes St. Peter Damian.1 Hence St. John Chrysostom
thus concludes: " The Sovereign Master of the universe
only follows the servant by confirming in heaven all that
the latter decides upon earth. " 3
Priests are the dispensers of the divine graces and the
companions of God. " Consider the priests," says St.
Ignatius, Martyr, " as the dispensers of divine graces and
the associates of God." : " They are," says St. Prosper,
" the glory and the immovable columns of the Church;
thay are the doors of the eternal city; through them all
reach Christ; they are the vigilant guardians to whom
the Lord has confided the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; they are the stewards of the king's house, to
assign to each according to his good pleasure his place
in the hierarchy."
Were the Redeemer to descend into a church, and sit
in a confessional to administer the sacrament of pen
ance, and a priest to sit in another confessional, Jes'us
would say over each penitent, " Ego te absolve," the
priest would likewise say over each of his penitents,
" Ego te absolve," and the penitents of each would be
equally absolved. How great the honor that a king
would confer on a subject whom he should empower to
rescue from prison as many as he pleased ! But far
greater is the power that the eternal Father has given
to Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ has given to his
priests, to rescue from hell not only the bodies but also
1 " Praecedit Petri sententia sententiam Redemptoris." — Serm. 26.
2 " Dominus sequitur servum; et quidquid hie in inferioribus judi-
caverit, hoc ille in supernis comprobat." — De Verbis Is. horn. 5.
" In domo Dei, divinorum bonorum ceconomos, sociosque Dei,
Sacerdotes respicite." — Ep. ad Polyc.
4 " Ipsi sunt Ecclesiae decus, columnse firmissimae; ipsi januae Civi-
tatis aeternae, per quos omnes ingrediuntur ad Christum; ipsi janitores,
quibus claves datse sunt regni coelorum; ipsidispensatoresregise domus,
quorum arbitrio dividuntur gradus singulorum. " — DC Vita cont. 1. 2,
C. 2.
CHAP, i.] The Dignity of the Priesthood. 29
the souls of the faithful: " The Son," says St. John Chrys-
ostom, "has put into the hands of the priests all judg
ment; for having been as it were transported into
heaven, they have received this divine prerogative. If
a king gave to a mortal the power to release from
prison all prisoners, all would pronounce such a one
happy; but priests have received from God a far greater
power, since the soul is more noble than the body." '
IV.
The Dignity of the Priest Surpasses all other Created
Dignities.
Thus the sacerdotal dignity is the most noble of all
the dignities in this world. " Nothing," says St. Am
brose, "is more excellent in this world."2 It transcends,
says St. Bernard, "all the dignities of kings, of em
perors, and of angels." : According to St. Ambrose, the
dignity of the priest as far exceeds that of kings, as the
value of gold surpasses that of lead.4 The reason is,
because the power of kings extends only to temporal
goods and to the bodies of men, but the power of the
priest extends to spiritual goods and to the human soul.
Hence, says St. Clement, " as much as the soul is more
noble than the body, so much is the priesthood more
excellent than royalty." 5 " Princes," says St. John
1 " Omne judicium a Filio illis traditum Nam, quasi in
coelum translati, ad principatum istum perducti sunt. Si cui rex hunc
honorem detulerit, ut potestatem habeat quoscunque in carcerem con-
jectos laxandi, beatus ille judicio omnium fuerit; at vero qui tanto
majorem a Deo accepit potestatem, quanto animae corporibus prae-
stant." — De Sacerd. \. 3.
2 " Nihil in hoc saeculo excellentius." — DC Dignit. sac. c. 3.
3 " Prsetulit vos, Sacerdotes, regibus et imperatoribus; prsetulit
Angelis." — Serm. ad Pastor, in syn.
4 ' ' Longe erit inferius, quam si plumbum ad auri fulgorem com
pares." — De Dignit. sac. c. 2.
5 ' ' Quanto anima corpore praestantior est, tanto est Sacerdotium
regno excellentius." — Constit. apost. 1. 2, c. 34.
30 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
Chrysostom, "have the power of binding, but they bind
only the bodies, while the priest binds the souls." ]
The kings of the earth glory in honoring priests: " It
is a mark of a good prince," says Pope St. Marcellinus,
" to honor the priests of God." a " They willingly," says
Peter de Blois, " bend their knee before the priest of
God; they kiss his hands, and with bowed down head
receive his benediction."5 "The sacerdotal dignity,"
says St. Chrysostom, "effaces the royal dignity; hence
the king inclines his head under the hand of the priest
to receive his blessing."4 Baronius relates that when
the Empress Eusebia sent for Leontius, Bishop of Trip
oli, he said that if she wished to see him, she should
consent to two conditions: first, that on his arrival she
should instantly descend from the throne, and bowing
down her head, should ask his benediction; secondly,
that he should be seated on the throne, and that she
should not sit upon it without his permission: he added,
that unless she submitted to these conditions he should
never go to the palace. Being invited to the table of
the Emperor Maximus, St. Martin, in taking a draught,
first paid a mark of respect to his chaplain, and then to
the emperor. In the Council of Nice, the Emperor
Constantine wished to sit in the last place, after all the
priests, and on a seat lower than that which they occu
pied; he would not even sit down without their per
mission. The holy king St. Boleslans had so great a
veneration for priests, that he would not dare to sit in
their presence.
1 " Habent principes vinculi potestatem, verum corporum solum;
Sacerdotes vinculum etiam animarum contingit." — De Sacerd. 1. 3.
2 " Boni principis est Dei Sacerdotes honorare." — Cap. Boni princ.
dist. 96.
3 " Reges flexis genibus offerunt ei munera, et deosculantur manum,
ut ex ejus contactu sanctificentur." — Scrm. 47.
4 " Major est hie principatus quam regis; propterea rex caput sub-
mittit manui Sacerdotis." — DC Verbis Is. horn. 4.
The Dignity of the Priesthood. 3 1
The sacerdotal dignity also surpasses the dignity of the
angels, who likewise show their veneration for the priest
hood, says St. Gregory Nazianzen.1 All the angels in
heaven cannot absolve from a single sin. The angels
guardian procure for the souls committed to their care
grace to have recourse to a priest that he may absolve
them : " Although," says St. Peter Damian, " angels may
be present, they yet wait for the priest to exercise his
power, but no one of them has the power of the keys —
of binding and of loosening."2 When St. Michael comes
to a dying Christian who invokes his aid, the holy arch
angel can chase away the devils, but he cannot free his
client from their chains till a priest comes to absolve
him. After having given the order of priesthood to a
holy ecclesiastic, St. Francis de Sales perceived, that in
going out he stopped at the door as if to give prece
dence to another. Being asked by the saint why he
stopped, he answered that God favored him with the
visible presence of his angel guardian, who before he had
received priesthood always remained at his right and
preceded him, but afterwards walked on his left and re
fused to go before him. It was in a holy contest with
the angel that he stopped at the door. St. Francis of
Assisi used to say, " If I saw an angel and a priest, 1
would bend my knee first to the priest and then to the
angel."
Besides, the power of the priest surpasses that of the
Blessed Virgin Mary; for, although this divine Mother
can pray for us, and by her prayers obtain whatever
she wishes, yet she cannot absolve a Christian from even
the smallest sin. " The Blessed Virgin was eminently
1 *' Sacerdotium ipsi quoque Angeli venerantur." — Orat. ad Naz. tint.
perc.
2 " Licet assistant Angeli, praesidentis (Sacerdotis) imperium exspec-
tantes, nullus tamen eorum ligandi atque solvendi possidet potestatem."
— Serm. 2.6.
32 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
more perfect than the apostles," says Innocent III.; " it
was, however, not to her, but only to the apostles, that
the Lord intrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven." '
St. Bernardine of Sienna has written: " Holy Virgin,
excuse me, for I speak not against thee: the Lord has
raised the priesthood above thee."5 The saint assigns
the reason of the superiority of the priesthood over
Mary; she conceived Jesus Christ only once; but by
consecrating the Eucharist, the priest, as it were, con
ceives him as often as he wishes, so that if the person of
the Redeemer had not as yet been in the world, the
priest, by pronouncing the words of consecration, would
produce this great person of a Man-God. " O wonder
ful dignity of the priests," cries out St. Augustine; " in
their hands, as in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, the
Son of God becomes- incarnate. ": Hence priests are
called the parents of Jesus Christ:4 such is the title that
St. Bernard gives them, for they are the active cause by
which he is made to exist really in the consecrated
Host.
Thus the priest may, in a certain manner, be called
the creator of his Creator, since by saying the words of
consecration, he creates, as it were, Jesus in the sacra
ment, by giving him a sacramental existence, and pro
duces him as a victim to be offered to the eternal Father.
As in creating the world it was sufficient for God to
have said, Let it be made, and it was created — He spoke,
J " Licet Beatissima Virgo excellentior fuerit Apostolis, non tamen
illi, sed istis Dominus claves regni coelorum commisit." — Cap. Nova
quccdam. DC Pccnit.
* "Virgo benedicta, excusa me, quia non loquor contra te: Sacer-
dotium ipse praetulit supra te." — T. i, s. 20, a. 2, c. 7.
3 " O veneranda Sacerdotum dignitas, in quorum manibus, veldt in
utero Virginis, Filius Dei incarnatur." — Molina. Instr. Sacerd. tr. i,c.
5, §2.
4 " Parentes Christi." — S. ad Past, in syn.
CHAP, i.] The Dignity of the Priesthood. 33
and they were made? — so it is sufficient for the priest to
say, " Hoc est corpus meum," and behold the bread is
no longer bread, but the body of Jesus Christ. " The
power of the priest," says St. Bernardine of Sienna, " is
the power of the divine person; for the transubstan-
tiation of the bread requires as much power as the
creation of the world."2 And St. Augustine has writ
ten, " O venerable sanctity of the hands! O happy func
tion of the priest ! He that created (if I may say so)
gave me the power to create him; and he that created
me without me is himself created by me!" ! As the
Word of God created heaven and earth, so, says St.
Jerome, the words of the priest create Jesus Christ.
" At a sign from God there came forth from nothing
both the sublime vault of the heavens and the vast ex
tent of the earth; but not less great is the power that
manifests itself in the mysterious words of the priest." *
The dignity of the priest is so great, that he even blesses
Jesus Christ on the altar as a victim to be offered to the
eternal Father. In the sacrifice of the Mass, writes
Father Mansi, Jesus Christ is the principal offerer and
victim; as minister, he blesses the priest, but as victim,
the priest blesses him.
V.
Elevation of the Post Occupied by the Priest.
The greatness of the dignity of a priest is also esti
mated from the high place that he occupies. The
1 " Ipse dixit, et facta sunt." — Ps. xxxii. 9.
2 " Potestas Sacerdotis est sicut potestas Personarum divinarum;
quia, in panis transsubstantiatione, tanta requiritur virtus, quanta in
mundi creatione." — Loco cit.
3 " O venerabilis sanctitudo manuum! o felix exercitium! Qui
creavit me (si fas est dicere)'dedit mihi create se; et qui creavit me sine
me ipse creavit se mediante me!"
4 " Ad nutum Domini, ex nihilo substiterunt excelsa ccelorum, vasta
terrarum; ita parem potentiam in spiritualibus Sacerdotis verbis praebet
virtus." — Horn, de Corpore Chr.
3
34 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
priesthood is called, at the synod of Chartres, in 1550,
the seat of the saints. Priests are called Vicars of Jesus
Christ, because they hold his place on earth. " You
hold the place of Christ," says St. Augustine to them;
"you are therefore his lieutenants." ] In the Council of
Milan, St. Charles Borromeo called priests the repre
sentatives of the person of God on earth.2 And before
him, the Apostle said: For Christ we are ambassadors,
God, as it were, exhorting by us?
When he ascended into heaven, Jesus Christ left his
priests after him to hold on earth his place of mediator
between God and men, particularly on the altar. " Let
the priest," says St. Laurence Justiniari, "approach the
altar as another Christ. 'M According to St. Cyprian, a
priest at the altar performs the office of Christ.5 When,
says St. Chrysostom, you have seen a priest offering sacri
fice, consider that the hand of Christ is invisibly extended.6
The priest holds the place of the Saviour himself,
when, by saying "Ego te absolvo," he absolves from
sin, This great power, which Jesus Christ has received
from his eternal Father, he has communicated to his
priests. "Jesus," says Tertullian, " invests the priests
with his own powers."1 To pardon a single sin requires
all the omnipotence of God. "O God, who chiefly
manifestest Thy almighty power in pardoning and show
ing mercy,"8 etc., says the holy Church in one of her
1 " Vos estis Vicarii Christi, qui vicem ejus geritis." — Ad Fr. in er.
s. 36.
8 " Dei personam in terris gerentes."
3 " Pro Christo legatione fungimur, tamquam Deo exhortante per
nos." — 2 Cor. v. 20.
4 "Accedat Sacerdosadaltaris tribunal ut Christus." — Serm. deEuchar.
5 l< Sacerdos vice Christi vere fungitur." — Ep. ad Occil.
6 " Cum videris Sacerdotem offerentem, consideres Christi manum in-
visibiliter extensam." — Ad pop. Ant. horn. 60.
7 " De suo vestiens Sacerdotes."
8 " Deus, qui omnipotentiam tuam parcendo maxime et miserendo
manifestas." — Dam. \v post Pent.
CHAP, i,] The Dignity of the Priesthood. 3 5
prayers. Hence, when they heard that Jesus Christ
pardoned the sins of the paralytic, the Jews justly said:
Who can forgive sins but God alone ? ' But what only God
can do by his omnipotence, the priest can also do by
saying " Ego te absolve a peccatis tuis;" for the forms
of the sacraments, or the words of the forms, produce
what they signify. How great should be our wonder if
we saw a person invested with the power of changing a
negro into a white man; but the priest does what is far
more wonderful, for by saying " Ego te absolvo " he
changes the sinner from an enemy into the friend of
God, and from the slave of hell into an heir of paradise.
Cardinal Hugo represents the Lord addressing the
following words to a priest who absolves a sinner: " I
have created heaven and earth, but I leave to you a
better and nobler creation; make out of this soul that
is in sin a new soul, that is, make out of the slave of
Satan, that the soul is, a child of God. I have made the
earth bring forth all kinds of fruit, but to thee I confide
a more beautiful creation, namely, that the soul should
bring forth fruits of salvation."5 The soul without
grace is a withered tree that can no longer produce
fruit; but receiving the divine grace, through the minis
try of a priest, it brings forth fruits of eternal life. St.
Augustine says, that to sanctify a sinner is a greater
work than to create heaven and earth.3 And hast thou,
says Job, an arm like God, and canst thou thunder with a
voice like Him ?* Who is it that has an arm like the arm
1 " Quis potest dimittere peccata, nisi solus Deus?" — Luke, v. 21.
"2 " Ego feci coehim et terram; verumtamen meliorem et nobiliorem
creationem do tibi: fac novam animam quae est in peccato. Ego feci ut
terra produceret fructus suos; do tibi meliorem creationem, ut anima
fructus suos producat."
3 " Prorsus majus hoc esse dixerim, quam est coelum et terra, et quae-
cunque cernuntur in ccelo et in terra." — In Jo. tr. 72.
4 " Et si habes brachium sicut Deus, et si voce simili tonas?" — Jol\
xl. 4-
36 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
of God, and thunders with a voice like the thundering
voice of God ? It is the priest, who, in giving absolu
tion, exerts the arm and voice of God, by which he
rescues souls from hell.
According to St. Ambrose, a priest, in absolving a
sinner, performs the very office of the Holy Ghost in the
sanctification of souls.1 Hence, in giving priests the
power of absolving from sin, the Redeemer breathed on
them, and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins
you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall
retain, they are retained?1 He gave them his own Spirit,
that is, the Holy Ghost, the sanctifier of souls, and thus
made them, according to the words of the Apostle, his
own coadjutors: We are God's coadjutors.'1' " On priests,"
says St. Gregory, "it is incumbent to give the final
decision, for by the right that they have received from the
Lord they now remit, now retain sins."4 St. Clement,
then, had reason to say that the priest is, as it were, a
God on earth.5 God, said David, stood in the congregation
of the gods? These gods are, according to St. Augustine,
the priests of God.7 Innocent III. has written: " Indeed,
it is not too much to say that in view of the sublimity of
their offices the priests are so many gods."'
1 " Munus Spiritus Sancti, officium Sacerdotis."
2 " Insufflavit, et dixit eis: Accipite Spiritum Sanctum: quorum remi-
seritis peccata, remittuntur eis; et quorum retinueritis, retenta sunt." —
John, xx. 22.
3 " Dei enim sumus adjutores." — I Cor. iii. 9.
4 " Principatum superni judicii sortiuntur; ut, vice Dei, quibusdam
peccata retineant, quibusdam relaxent." — In Evang. horn. 26.
5 " Post Deum, terrenus Deus." — Const, a post. 1. 2, c. 26.
6 " Deus stetit in synagoga Deorum." — Ps. Ixxxi. i.
1 " Dii excelsi, in quorum synagoga Deus Deorum stare desiderat." —
Ad Fr. in er. s. 36.
8 " Sacerdotes, propter officii dignitatem, Deorum nomine nuncupan-
tur." — Can. Cum ex injuncto. De Haret.
CHAP, i.] The Dignity of the Priesthood. 3 7
VI.
Conclusion.
How great, then, says St. Ambrose, the disorder to
see in the same person the highest dignity and a life
of scandal, a divine profession and wicked conduct ! '
What, says Salvian, is a sublime dignity conferred on an
unworthy person but a gem enchased in mire ?2
Neither doth any man, says St. Paul, take the honor to
himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. For
Christ did not glorify Himself that He might be made a high
priest; but He that said unto Him: Thou art my Son; this day
have I begotten Thee? Let no one, he says, dare to ascend
to the priesthood, without first receiving, as Aaron did,
the divine call; for even Jesus Christ would not of
himself assume the honor of the priesthood, but waited
till his Father called him to it. From this we may infer
the greatness of the sacerdotal dignity. But the greater
its sublimity, the more it should be dreaded. "For,"
says St. Jerome, " great is the dignity of priests; but
also, when they sin, great is their ruin. Let us rejoice
at having been raised so high, but let us be afraid of
falling."4 Lamenting, St. Gregory cries out: "Purified
by the hands of the priest the elect enter the heavenly
country, and alas ! priests precipitate themselves into
1 " Ne sit honor sublimis, et vitadeformis; deifica professio, et illicita
actio. Actio respondeat nomini." — De Dignat. sac. c. 3.
2 " Quid est dignitas in indigno, nisi ornamentum in luto?" — Ad
Ecd. cath. 1. 2.
3 "Nee quisquam sumit sibi honorem, sed qui vocatur a Deo, tam-
quam Aaron. Sic et Christus non semetipsum clarificavit ut Pontifex
fieret, sed qui locutus est ad eum: Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui
Mt."—Heb. v. 4.
4 " Grandis dignitas Sacerdotum, sed grandis ruina eorum, si peccant.
Lsetemur ad ascensum, sed timeamus ad lapsum." — In Ezech. c. 44.
38 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
the fire of hell !" ' The saint compares priests to the
baptismal water which cleanses the baptized from their
sins, and sends them to heaven, " and is afterwards
thrown into the sink."2
1 " Ingrediuntur electi, Sacerdotum manibus expiati, coelestem pa-
triatn: et Sacerdotes ad inferni supplicia festinant !"
2 " Et ipsa in cloacas descendit !" — In Evang. horn. 17.
CHAP, ii.] The End of tJie Priesthood. 39
CHAPTER II
THE END OF THE PRIESTHOOD.
I.
The Priesthood Appears to the Saints a Formidable Charge.
ST. CYPRIAN said, that all those that had the true
spirit of God were, when compelled to take the order
of priesthood, seized with fear and trembling, as if they
saw an enormous weight placed on their shoulders, by
which they were in danger of being crushed to death.
"I see," said St. Cyril of Alexandria, " all the saints
frightened at the sacred ministry, as at an immense
charge."1 St. Epiphanius writes, that he found no one
willing to be ordained a priest. A Council held in
Carthage ordained that they that were thought worthy,
and refused to be ordained, might be compelled to be
come priests.
St. Gregory Nazianzen says: "No one rejoices when
he is ordained priest."5 In his life of St. Cyprian, Paul
the Deacon states that when the saint heard that his
bishop intended to ordain him priest, he through humil
ity concealed himself.3 * It is related in the life of St.
Fulgentius that he too fled away and hid himself.4 St.
Athanasius also, as Sozomen relates, took flight in order
to escape the priesthood. St. Ambrose, as he himself
1 " Omnes sanctos reperio divini ministerii ingentem veluti molem
formidantes." — De Fest. pasch. horn. I.
2 " Nemo laeto animo creattir Sacerdos."
3 " Humiliter secessit. " — Vita S. Cypr.
4 " Vota eligentium velociori prseveniens fuga, latebris incertis abscoa-
ditur." — Vita S. Fulg. c. i6»
40 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
attests, resisted for a long time before he consented to
be ordained.1 St. Gregory, even after it was made mani
fest by miracles that God wished him to be a priest,
concealed himself under the garb of a merchant, in
order to prevent his ordination.
To avoid being ordained, St. Ephrem feigned mad
ness; St. Mark cut off his thumb; St. Ammonius cut off
his ears and nose, and because the people insisted on
his ordination, he threatened to cut out his tongue, and
thus they ceased to molest him.
It is known to all, that St. Francis remained a deacon,
and refused to ascend to the priesthood, because he
learned by revelation, that the soul of a priest should
be as pure as the water that was shown to him in a
crystal vessel. The Abbot Theodore was only a deacon,
but he would not exercise the duties of the Order he
had received because during prayer he was shown a
pillar of fire, and heard the following words: "If you
have a heart as inflamed as this pillar, you may then
exercise your Order." The Abbot Motues was a priest,
but always refused to offer the holy Mass, saying that
he had been compelled to take holy Orders, and that
because he felt himself unworthy, he could not celebrate.
Formerly there were but few priests among the
monks, whose lives were so austere; and the monk who
aspired to the priesthood was considered to be a proud
man. Hence, to try the obedience of one of his monks,
St. Basil commanded him to ask in public the Order of
priesthood; his compliance was regarded as an act of
heroic obedience, because by his obedience in asking to
be ordained priest he, as it were, declared himself to be
a man filled with the spirit of pride.
But how, I ask, does it happen that the saints, who
live only for God, resist their ordination through a sense
1 " Quam resistebam, ne ordinarer !" — Epist. 82.
CHAP, ii.] The End of the Priesthood. 4 1
of their unworthiness, and that some run blindly to the
priesthood, and rest not until they attain it by lawful or
unlawful means ? Ah, unhappy men ! says St. Bernard,
to be registered among the priests of God shall be for
them the same as to be enrolled on the catalogue of the
damned. And why? Because such persons are gener
ally called to the priesthood, not by God, but by rela
tives, by interest, or ambition. Thus they enter the house
of God, not through the motive that a priest should have,
but through worldly motives. Behold why the faithful
are abandoned, the Church dishonored, so many souls
perish, and with them such priests are also damned.
II.
What is the End of the Priesthood.
God wills that all men should be saved, but not in the
same way. As in heaven he has distinguished different
degrees of glory, so on earth he has established differ
ent states of life, as so many different ways of gaining
heaven. On account of the great ends for which it has
been instituted, the priesthood is of all these the most
noble, the most exalted and sublime. What are these
ends? Perhaps the sole ends of the priesthood are to
say Mass, and to recite the Office, and then to live like
seculars ? No, the end for which God has instituted the
priesthood has been to appoint on earth public persons
to watch over the honor of his divine majesty, and to
procure the salvation of souls. For every high priest, says
St. Paul, taken from among men, is ordained for men in the
things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and
sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on them that are
ignorant and that err.1 To execute the office of the priest-
1 " Omnis namque Pontifex, ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus
constituitur in iis quae sunt ad Deum, ut offerat dona et sacrificia pro pec-
atis; qui condolere possit iis qui ignorant et errant.." — Heb^ v» i^
42 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
hood and to have praise.1 " That is," says Cardinal Hugo,
" to perform the office of praising God." 3 And Cornelius
a. Lapide says: " Just as it is the office of the angels to
praise God without ceasing in heaven, so it is the office
of priests to praise God without ceasing on earth."3
Jesus Christ has made priests, as it were, his co-oper
ators in procuring the honor of his eternal Father and
the salvation of souls, and therefore, when he ascended
into heaven, he protested that he left them to hold
his place, and to continue the work of redemption
which he had undertaken and consummated. "He
made them," says St. Ambrose, " the vicars of his love." 4
And Jesus Christ himself said to his disciples: As the
Father hath sent Me, I also send you. 5 I leave you to per
form the very office for which I came into the world; that
is, to make known to men the name of my Father. And
addressing his eternal Father, he said: / have glorified
Thee on earth; I have finished the work which Thou gavest
me to do; I have manifested Thy name to the men!" He then
prayed for his priests: I have given them Thy word. . . .
Sanctify them in truth. . . . As Thou hast sent me into the
world, I also have sent them.'' Thus, priests are placed in
the world to make known to men God and his perfec
tions, his justice and mercy, his commands, and to pro
cure the respect, obedience, and love that he deserves.
They are appointed to seek the lost sheep, and when
1 " Fungi sacerdotio et habere laudem." — Ecclus. xlv. 19.
2 " ' Habere laudem,' id est, officium laudandi Deum."
3 " Sicut Angelorum est perpetim laudare Deum in coelis, sic Saccr-
dotum officium est eumdem jugiter laudare in terris."
4 " Amoris sui velut vicarium (Petrum) relinquebat." — In Luk. 1. 10,
c. ult.
5 " Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos." — John, xx. 21.
6 "Ego te clarificavi super terram; opus consummavi. . . . Mani-
festavi nomen tuum hominibus." — John, xvii. 4.
7 " Ego dedi eis sermonem tuum. . . . Sanctifica eos in veritate.
. . . Sicut tu me misistl in mundum, et ego misi eos." — Ibid. xvii. 18.
CHAP, ii.] The End of the Priesthood. 43
necessary, to give their lives for them. This is the end
for which Jesus Christ has come on earth, for which he
has constituted priests: As the Father hath sent me, I also
send you.
III.
Principal Duties of the Priest.
Jesus came into the world for no other purpose than
to light up the fire of divine love. I am come to cast fire
on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled? And
the priest must labor during his whole life, and with his
whole strength, not to acquire riches, honors, and
worldly goods, but to inspire all with the love of God.
" Therefore," says the author of the Imperfect Work,
"has Christ sent us not that we may do what is to our
profit, but what is for the glory of God True
love does not seek its own advantage, but it wishes in
all things only what is the good pleasure of the person
loved."2 In the Book of Leviticus the Lord says to
his priests: I have separated you from other people, that you
should be Mine? Mark the words that you should be Mine ;
that you may be employed in my praises, devoted to
my service, and to my love: " The co-operators and
dispensers of my sacraments," says St. Peter Damian.4
" Mine," says St. Ambrose, " that you may be the guides
and the rulers of the flock of Christ."5 "Mine" for,
according to the same Doctor, the minister of the altar
1 " Ignem veni mittere in terram; et quid volo, nisi ut accendatur ?"
— Luke, xii. 49.
2 " Ideo vocati sumus a Christo, non ut operemur quae ad nostrum
pertinent usum, sed quae ad gloriam Dei. . . . Verus amor non quserit
quse sua sunt, sed ad libitum ainati cuncta desiderat perficere." —
Horn. 34.
3 " Separavi vos a caeteris populis, ut essetis mei." — Levit. xx. 26.
4 " Sacramentorum Dei cooperatores et dispensatores." — Opusc. 27,
c. 3.
5 " Duces et rectores gregis Christi." — De Dignit. sac. c. 2.
44 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
belongs not to himself, but to God.1 The Lord sepa
rates his priests from the rest of his people in order to
unite them entirely to himself. Is it a small thing unto
you that the God of Israel hath separated you from all the
people, and joined you to Himself?
If, said the Redeemer, any man minister unto Me, let
him follow Me.3 Let him follow Me ; he should follow
Jesus Christ by shunning the world, by assisting souls,
by promoting the love of God, and extirpating vice.
The reproaches of them that reproached thee have fallen upon
Me." The priest, who is a true follower of Jesus Christ,
regards injuries done to God as offered to himself.
Seculars, devoted to the world, cannot render to God
the veneration and the gratitude that are due to him:
hence, says a learned author, Father ' Frassen, it has
been necessary to select certain persons, that by the ful
filment of their peculiar office and obligations they may
give due honor to the Lord.5
In every government ministers are appointed to en
force the observance of the laws, to remove scandals, to
repress the seditious, and to defend the honor of the
king. For all these ends the Lord has constituted
priests the officers of his court. Hence St. Paul has
said: Let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God.6
Ministers of state always endeavor to procure the re
spect due to their sovereign, and to extend his glories;
they always speak of him in terms of praise, and should
they hear a word against their master, with what zeal
1 " Verus minister altaris Deo, non sibi, natus est." — In Ps. 118, s. 8.
2 " Separavit vos Deus Israel ab omni populo, et junxit sibi." —
Num. xvi. 9.
3 " Si quis mihi ministrat, me sequatur." — John, xii. 26.
4 ' ' Opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me. " — Ps. Ixviii. 10.
5 " Fuit necessarium aliquos e populo seligi ac destinari, qui ad
impendendum debitum Deo cultum, et sui status obligatione et institu-
tione, intenderent." — Scotus acad. De Ord. d. I, a. I, q. i.
6 " Exhlbeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros." — 2 Cor. vi. 4.
CHAP, ii.] The End of the Priesthood. 45
do they reprove the author of it ? They study to gratify
his inclinations, and even expose their life in order to
please him. Is it thus that priests act for God ? It is
certain that they are his ministers of state: by them are
managed all the interests of his glory. Through them
sins should be removed from the world: this is the end
for which Jesus Christ has died. Crucified, that the body
of sin may be destroyed.1 But on the day of judgment how
can the judge acknowledge as his true minister the
priest who, instead of preventing the sins of others, is
the first to conspire against Jesus Christ ? What would
you say of ministers who should neglect to attend to
the interests of their sovereign, and should refuse to
assist him when he stood in need of their aid ? But
what would you say if these ministers also spoke against
their master, and endeavored to deprive him of his
throne by entering into an alliance with his enemies ?
Priests are the ambassadors of God, says the Apostle:
For Christ we are ambassadors? They are his coadjutors
in procuring the salvation of souls: For we are God's
coadjutors:1 For this end Jesus Christ gave them the
Holy Ghost, that they might save souls by remitting
their sins. He breathed on them, and He said to them : Re
ceive ye the Holy Ghost : whose sins you shall forgive, they
are forgiven them." Hence the theologian Habert has
written that the essence of the priesthood consists in
seeking ardently to procure first the glory of God, and
then the salvation of souls.5
The business, then, of every priest is to attend, not to
1 " Crucifixus est, ut destruatur corpus peccati." — Rom. vi. 6.
2 " Pro Christo legatione fungimur. " — 2 Cor. v. 20.
3 " Dei enim sumus adjutores." — i Cor. iii. 9.
4 " Insufflavit, et dixit eis: Accipite Spiritum Sanctum: quorum re-
miseritis peccata, remittuntur eis." — John, xx. 22.
6 " Ingenium sacerdotale essentialiter consistit in ardenti studio
promovendi gloriam Dei et salutem proximi." — De Ord. p. 3, c. 5, q. 3.
46 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
the things of the world, but to the things of God: He
is ordained in the things that appertain to God.1 Hence St.
Silvester ordained that for ecclesiastics the days of the
week should be called Feria, or vacant or free days; and
he says: " It is every day that the priest, free from
earthly occupations, should occupy himself entirely with
God."2 By this he meant that we, who are ordained
priests, should seek nothing but God and the salvation
of souls, an office which St. Denis called " the most
divine of all the divine offices."1 St. Antonine says
that the meaning of sacerdos is sacra docens, one that
teaches sacred things.4 And Honorius of Autun says that
presbyter signifies prcebcns iter, one that shows the way.5
Hence St. Ambrose calls priests the guides and rectors of
the flock of Christ.* And St. Peter calls ecclesiastics a
kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people.'1 A
people destined to acquire not riches, but souls. St.
Ambrose calls the sacerdotal office " an office that should
acquire not money, but souls.'" Even the Gentiles
wished their priests to attend only to the worship of
their gods, and therefore they would not permit them
to hold the office of secular magistrates.
Hence, speaking of priests, St. Gregory says, with
tears, it is our duty to abandon all earthly business in
order to attend to the things of God, but we do the
1 " Constituitur in iis quae sunt ad Deum." — Hcbr. v. I.
2 " Quo significaretur quotidie clericos, abjecta ceterarum rerum
cura, uni Deo prorsus vacare debere." — Brcviar. 31 Dec.
3 " In hoc sita est Sacerdotis perfectio, ut ad divinam promoveatur
imitationem, quodque divinius est omnium, ipsius etiam Dei cooperator
existat." — De Ca'l. Hierarch. c. 3.
4 " Sacerdos — Sacra docens." — Summ. p. 3, tr. 14, c. 7, § r.
5 " Presbyter — Praebens iter." — Gemma an. 1. i, c. 181.
6 " Duces et Rectores gregis Christi." — De Dignit. Sacerd. c. 2.
'"Regale Sacerdotium, Gens Sancta, Populus acquisitions. "-
i Pd. ii. 9.
8 " Officium quaestus, non pecuniarum, sed animarum." — Scrm. 78.
CHAP, ii.] The End of the Priesthood. 47
very contrary, " for we desert the cause of God and
devote all our care to the things of the earth."1 After
being appointed by God to attend only to the advance
ment of his glory, Moses spent his time in settling the
disputes of the people. Jethro rebuked him for his con
duct, saying: Thou art spent with foolish labor. . . . Be
thou to the people in the things that pertain to God? But
what would Jethro say if he saw our priests employed
in mercantile affairs, acting as the servants of seculars,
or occupied in arranging marriages, but forgetful of the
works of God; if, in a word, he saw them seeking, as
St. Prosper says, " to advance in wealth, but not in vir
tue, and to acquire greater honors, but not greater
sanctity!"3 . . . " Oh ! what an abuse," exclaims Father
John d'Avila, " to make heaven subordinate to earth !"
" What a misery," says St. Gregory, " to see so many
priests seeking, not the merits of virtue, but the goods
of this life !"4
Hence, says St. Isidore of Pelusium, in the very works
of their ministry they regard not the glory of God, but
the reward annexed to them.5
(Many other things that might be added to this chap
ter are omitted, because they are contained in the fol
lowing chapter, which treats of the offices of a priest.)
1 " Dei causam relinquimus, et ad terrena negotia vacamus." — In
Evang. horn. 17.
2 " Stulto labore consumeris. . . . Esto tu populo in his quse ad
Deum pertinent." — Exod. xviii. 18.
3 " Non ut meliores, sed tit ditiores fiant; non ut sanctiores, sed ut
honoratiores sint ! " — DC Vita cont. 1. I, c. 21.
4 "Non virtutum merita, sed subsidia vitae praesentis exquirunt." —
Mor. 1. 23, c. 26.
5 "Ad stipendia dumtaxat oculos habent." — Epiit. 1. I, ep. 447.
48 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
CHAPTER III.
THE SANCTITY NECESSARY FOR THE PRIEST.
I.
What should be the Sanctity of the Priest by Reason of his
Dignity.
GREAT is the dignity of the priesthood, but great
also are its obligations. Priests ascend to a great
height, but in their ascent they must be assisted by
great virtue; otherwise, instead of meriting a reward,
they shall be reserved for severe chastisement. "The
sacerdotal dignity," says St. Laurence Justinian, " is
great, but great is the burden. Raised to this high
degree of honor, it is necessary that priests sustain
themselves by great virtue; otherwise they will have to
expect instead of great merit great punishment." ' And
St. Peter Chrysologus says: "The priests are honored,
but I say that they are burdened."2 The honor of the
priesthood is great, but its burden is also great; great,
too, is the account that priests have to render to God.
" Priests," says St. Jerome, " will save themselves, not
by their dignity, but by the works that correspond to
their dignity." !
Every Christian should be perfect and holy, because
every Christian professes to serve a God of holiness.
1 " Magna dignitas, sed majus est pondus. In alto gradu positi
sunt ; oportet quoque ut in sublimi virtutum culmine sint erecti ; alio-
quin, non ad meritum, sed ad proprium prresunt judicium." — De Inst.
pral. c. ii.
2 "Sacerdotes honorati; dicam autem, onerati."
3 " Non dignitas, sed opus dignitatis salvare consuevit. " — Ad
Sophon. 3.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 49
" In this," says St. Leo, " a Christian consists, that he
gets rid of the earthly and puts on the heavenly man." '
Hence Jesus Christ has said: Be you therefore perfect, as
also your heavenly Father is perfect? But the sanctity of
the priest should be very different from that of seculars.
" Between priests and the rest of men," says St. Ambrose,
" there should be nothing in common as to works and
as to conduct." : And the saint adds, that as greater
grace is given to the priest, so his life should be more
holy than that of seculars.4 And St. Isidore of Pelusium
says that between the sanctity of a priest and a good
secular the difference should be as great as between
heaven and earth.5
St. Thomas teaches that every one is obliged to prac
tise what is suited to the state that he has chosen.8
And according to St. Augustine, a man by entering the
ecclesiastical state imposes on himself the obligation
of being holy.7 And Cassiodorus calls the clerical pro
fession a heavenly life.8 The priest is, as Thomas a
Kempis says, bound to greater perfection than all
others,9 because the priesthood is the most sublime of
1 "Dum terreni hominis imago deponitur, et coelestis forma susci-
pitur." — De Pass. s. 14.
2 " Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et Pater vester coelestis perfectus
ts\."—Matth. v. 48.
3 " Nihil in Sacerdote commune cum studio atque usu multitu-
dinis." — Epist. 6.
4 " Debet praeponderare vita sacerdotis, sicut praeponderat gratia." —
Epist. 82.
6 " Tantum inter Sacerdotem et quemlibet probum interesse debet,
quantum inter ccelum et terram discriminis est." — Epist. 1. 2, ep. 205.
6 " Quicunque profitetur statum aliquem, tenetur ad ea quse illi
statui conveniunt."
7 " Clericus duas res professus est, et sanctitatem et clericatum." —
Semi. 355, E. B.
" Professio clericorum, vita ccelestis."
" Sacerdos ad majorem tenetur perfectionem sanctitatis." — Imit.
Chr. 1. 4, c. 5.
4
5O Material for Sermons. [PART i.
all states. Salvian adds, that in things in which God
counsels perfection to seculars, he makes it imperative
on ecclesiastics.1
The priests of the Old Law carried on their forehead
a plate on which was engraved the words Sanctum
Domino? that they might be reminded of the sanctity
that they should profess. The victims offered by the
priests should be entirely consumed. And why? "It
was," says Theodoret, " to symbolize the complete sac
rifice that the priest has made of himself to the Lord." !
St. Ambrose says that to offer sacrifice worthily the
priest ought first to sacrifice himself by the oblation of
his whole being to God.4 And Hesychius has written
that from youth till death the priest should be a perfect
holocaust of perfection.6 Hence God said to the priests
of the Old Law: I have separated you from other people,
that you should be mine.6 Now, in the New Law, the
Lord commands his priests far more strictly to abstain
from worldly business that they may labor only to please
that God to whom they have dedicated themselves.
No man, says St. Paul, being a soldier to God, entangleth
himself with secular business that he may please him to whom
he hath engaged himself ? And the holy Church requires
of those that enter the sanctuary by taking the first
1 " Clericis suis Salvator, non ut cseteris voluntarium, sed imperativum
officium perfectionis indicit." — De Eccl. Cathol. 1. 2.
'2 "Sanctum Domini." — Exod. xxxix. 29.
3 " Ut integritas Sacerdotis monstraretur, qui totum se Deo dicaverit."
— In Levit. q. 3.
4 " Hoc enim est sacrificium primitivum, quando unusquisque se
offert hostiam, et a se incipit, ut postea munus suum possit offerre." —
De Abel, 1. 2, c. 6.
5 ' ' Sacerdos continuum holocaustum offerre praecipitur, ut, a perfecta
sapientia incipiens, in eadem finiat, et totam vitam suam componat ad
perfectionem." — In Levit. 1. 2, c. I.
6 " Separavi vos a caeteris populis, ut essetis mei." — Levit. xx. 26.
7 "Nemo, militans Deo, implicat se negotiis saecularibus, ut ei pla-
ceat. cui se probavit." — 2 Tim. ii. 4.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 5 1
tonsure, to promise that they shall not engage in secu
lar pursuits, and to declare .that thenceforward they
will have no other inheritance than the Lord. The Lord
is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup ; it is Thou
that wilt restore my inheritance to me.1 St. Jerome says
that the clerical dress, the very state, calls for and de
mands sanctity of life.2 Thus the priest should keep
not only at a distance from every vice, but should also
make continual efforts to arrive at perfection. In this
consists, according to St. Bernard, the perfection that
can be attained in this life.3
St. Bernard weeps at the sight of so many that run
to Holy Orders without considering the sanctity neces
sary for those that wish to ascend to such a height.4
St. Ambrose says, " Those are very rare that can say,
* The Lord is my portion.' Those are very rare whom
passion does not inflame, or whom cupidity does not
actuate, or whom terrestrial cares do not absorb." 5
St. John the Evangelist writes: Who hath made us a king
dom, and priests to God and His Father? In explaining the
word kingdom, Tirinus with other interpreters says, that
priests are the kingdom of God: first, because in them
God reigns in this life by grace, and in the next by
glory:7 secondly, because they are made kings to reign
over vice.8 St. Gregory says, that the priest ought to
1 " Dominus pars hereditatis meae et calicis mei; tu es qui restitues
hereditatem meam mihi." — Ps. xv. 5.
2 " Clamat vestis clericalis, clamat status professi animi sanctitatem."
3 " Jugis conatus ad perfectionem, perfectio reputatur." — Epist. 254.
4 " Curritur passim ad sacros Ordines sine consideratione." — De
Conv. ad cler. c. 20.
5 " Quam rarus, qui potest dicere: Portio mea, Dominus; quern non
inflammet libido, non stimulet avaritia, non aliqua negotiorum saecula-
rium cura sollicitet !" — In Ps. cxviii. s. 8.
6 " Fecit nos regnum et Sacerdotes Deo et Patri suo." — Apoc. i. 6.
1 " In quo Deus regnat nunc per gratiam, postea per gloriam.'' —
8 " Fecit nos reges; regnamus enim cum ipso, et imperamus vitiis."
52 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
be dead to the world and to all the passions, in order to
lead a life altogether divine.1 The present priesthood
is the same as that which Jesus Christ has received
from his Father: And the glory which Thou hast given to Me,
I have given to them? Since, then, says St. Chrysostom, the
priest represents Jesus Christ, he ought to have as much
purity as would entitle him to stand in the midst of the
angels.3
St. Paul requires that the priest should be irrepre-
hensible: // behoveth a bishop to be blameless." In the
word bishop, the Apostle certainly includes priests; for
from bishops he passes to deacons, without making
mention of priests: Deacons in like manner chaste? etc.
Hence he intended to comprehend them under the word
bishop. This passage is understood in this sense by
St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom, who in speak
ing on this point says, " What he said of bishops he also
meant for priests."' Now the word irreprehensibilem —
blameless — every one knows, implies the possession of all
virtues. " It comprises all virtues," 7 says St. Jerome.
And in explaining this word, Cornelius a Lapide says
" that it is meant for him who is not only exempt from
all vice, but who is adorned with all virtues."6
For eleven centuries, all that fell into mortal sin after
baptism were excluded from the priesthood. This we
1 " Necesse est ut, mortuus omnibus passionibus, vivat vita divina."
2 " Et ego claritatem, quam dedisti mihi, dedi eis." — Jo/in, xvii. 22.
3 " Necesse est Sacerdotem sic esse purum, ut, in ipsis ccelis col-
locatus, inter ccelestes illas virtutes medius staret." — De Sacerd. 1. 3.
4 '• Oportet ergo Episcopum irreprehensibilem esse." — I Tim. iii. 2.
6 " Diaconos similiter pudicos."
6 ' ' Quae de Episcopis dixit, etiam Sacerdotibus congruit." — In i Tim.
horn. ii.
1 " Omnes virtutes comprehend it." — Ep. ad. Occanum.
8 " Qui non tantum vitio careat, sed qui omnibus virtutibus sit orna-
tus."
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 53
learn from the Council of Nice,1 from the Council of
Toledo,2 from the Council of Elvira,3 and from the
Fourth Council of Carthage.4 And if a priest after his
ordination had fallen into sin, he was deposed, and shut
up in a monastery, as may be observed from several
canons.6 In the sixth canon, the following reason is
assigned: "Above all, what the Church wishes is per
fect innocence. Those that are not holy should not
touch holy things. "e And in the several canons we
read: "Since the clerics have taken the Lord for their
inheritance, let them not have intercourse with the
world."7 The Council of Trent declared, " Wherefore
clerics called to have the Lord for their portion ought
by all means so to regulate their whole life and con
versation as that in their dress, comportment, gait, dis
course, and all things else, nothing appear but what is
grave, regulated, and replete with religiousness."* In
ecclesiastics the Council requires sanctity in dress as
well as in conduct, language, and every action. St.
John Chrysostom says, that priests should be so holy
that all may look to them as models of sanctity; because
God has placed them on earth that they may live like
angels, and be luminaries and teachers of virtue to all
others.9
1 Can. 9, 10. 2 I. Can. 2. 3 Can. 76. 4 IV. Can. 68.
5 Corp. fur. Can. dist. 81.
6 " In omnibus enim quod irreprehensibile est, Sancta defendit
Ecclesia. Qui sancti non sunt, sancta tractare non possunt." — Dist. 81.
can. 4-6.
7 " Clerici, quibus pars Dominus est, a saeculi segregati vivant."
8 " Decet omnino clericos, in sortem Domini vocatos, vitam moresque
suos componere, ut habitu, gestu, sermone, aliisque rebus, nil nisi
grave ac religione plenum prse se ferant." — Sess. 2, cap. i, de Ref.
9 " Sacerdos debet vitam habere immaculatam, ut omnes in ilium
veluti in aliquod exemplar excellens intueantur. Idcirco enim nos
(Deus)elegit, ut simus quasi luminaria, et magistri cseterorum efficiamur,
ac veluti angeli cum hominibus versemur in terris." — In I Tim. horn.
10.
54 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
The word ecclesiastic, according to St. Jerome, signifies
a person who has taken God for his inheritance. This
made the holy Doctor say: " Let the cleric then under
stand the signification of his name, and let him put his
life in harmony with his title."1 Let ecclesiastics
understand the signification of their name, and live
according to it; and since God is their portion, let them
live for God alone, says St. Ambrose.2
The priest is a minister destined by God for two most
noble and exalted offices — to honor him by sacrifices
and to sanctify souls: Every high priest taken from among
men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God?
" Hence," says St. Thomas on this passage, " it is for the
things that refer to God that the priest receives his mis
sion, and 'by no means that he may acquire glory or
amass riches."4 Every priest is chosen by the Lord,
and placed in the world to labor, not to acquire wealth
nor applause, nor to indulge in amusements, nor to ad
vance his family, but only to promote the interests "of
God's glory. " He is ordained for the things that ap
pertain to God." Hence, in the Scriptures, the priest is
called a man of God.5 A man that belongs not to the
world, nor to relatives, nor to himself, but only to God,
and that seeks nothing but God. Hence to priests
should be applied the words of David: This is the gene
ration of them that seek him, erf them that seek the face of the
God of Jacob? Behold the generation that seek only
1 " Clericus interpretetur primo vocabulum suum, ct nitatur esse
quod dicitur. " — Ep. ad Nepotian.
2 " Cui Deus portio est, nihil debet curare, nisi Deum." — DC Esau.
c. 2.
3 " Omnis namque Pontifex, ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus
constituitur in iis quae sunt ad Deum." — Hcbr. v. i.
4 " Non propter gloriam, non propter cumulandas divitias." — In
Hebr. v. led. 1.
5 " Homo Dei." — i Tim. vi. n.
6 " Haec est generatio quaerentium eum." — Ps. xxiii. 6.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 55
God ! As in heaven God has appointed certain angels
to assist at his throne, so on earth, among men, he has
destined priests to procure his glory. Hence he says to
them, / have separated you from other people? St. John
Chrysostom writes: " Therefore has God chosen us, that
like angels we may live with men on earth." '' And God
himself says, / will be sanctified in them that approach to
Me.3 " That is," adds the commentator, " my sanctity
shall be shown forth by the sanctity of my ministers.'"
II.
What Should be the Sanctity of the Priest as the Minister of
the Altar.
St. Thomas says, that greater sanctity is required in a
priest than in religious, on account of the most sublime
functions of his ministry, particularly in the oblation of
the sacrifice of the Mass. " Hence," adds the holy Doc
tor, " the cleric who is ordained sins more grievously
under similar circumstances if he does anything con
trary to the sanctity of his state than the religious who
is not ordained."5 Listen to the celebrated maxim of
St. Augustine: "A good monk will hardly become a
good cleric." ' Hence no one can be called a good
ecclesiastic unless he surpasses a good monk in virtue.
" A true minister of the altar," says St. Ambrose, " is
1 " Separavi vos a caeteris populis, ut essetis mei." — Levit. xx. 26.
2 " Idcirco enim nos (Deus) elegit, ut veluti angeli cum hominibus
versemur in terris." — In i Tim. horn. 10.
3 " Sanctificabor in iis qui appropinquant mihi. " — Levit. x. 3.
4 " Agnoscar sanctus ex sanctitate ministrorum."
5 " Quia, per sacrum Ordinem, aliquis deputaturad dignissima min-
isteria, quibus ipsi Christo servitur in Sacramento altaris; ad quod re-
quiritur major sanctitas interior, quam requirit etiam religionis status.
Unde gravius peccat, caeteris paribus, clericus in sacris Ordinibus con-
stitutus, si aliquid contrarium sanctitati agat, quam aliquis religiosus qui
non habet Ordinem sacrum." — 2. 2, q. 184, a. 3.
6 " Bonus monachus vix bonum clericum facit." — Epist. 60, E. B.
56 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
born for God, not for himself." ' That is, a priest
should disregard his conveniencies, his interests, and
amusements; he should consider that from the day that
he has received the priesthood, he belongs not to him
self, but to God; and should attend only to the interests
of God. The Lord evidently wishes his priests to be
pure and holy; that being cleansed from every defect,
they may approach the altar to offer sacrifice to him:
And, says the Prophet Malachy, He shall sit refining and
cleansing the silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and
shall refine them as gold and as silver, and they shall offer
sacrifices to the Lord in justice? In the book of Leviticus
he says: They shall be holy to their God, and shall not pro
fane His name; for they offer the burnt offerings of the Lord,
and the bread of their God, and therefore they shall be holy. 3
The priests of the Old Law, then, were commanded to
be holy, because they offered to God incense and the
loaves of proposition, that were but a figure of the most
holy Sacrament of the altar. How much greater should
be the purity and sanctity of the priests of the New Law
that offer to God the immaculate Lamb, his own very
Son ? Estius says that we do not offer calves or in
cense, as the priests of the Old Law did, " but the body
of Christ who was hanging on the cross."' Hence
Bellarmine says: "Woe be to us miserable beings, to
1 " Verus minister altaris Deo, non sibi, natus est." — In Ps. cxviii
s. 3.
'2 " Et sedebit conflans et emundans argentum; et purgabit filios
Levi, et colabit eos quasi aurum et quasi argentum; et erunt Domino
offerentes sacrificia in justitia." — Mai. iii. 3.
3<<Sancti erunt Deo suo et non polluent nomen ejus; incensum
enim Domini et panes Dei sui offerunt, et ideo sancti erunt." — Levit.
xxi. 6.
4 " Ipsum videlicet Corpus Domini, quod in ara crucis pependit.
Ideoque sanctitas requiritur, quse sita est in puritate animi; sine qua,
quisquis ad haec tremenda mysteria accedit, immundus accedit." — In
Levit. xxi. 6.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 57
whom the highest office has been assigned, yet we are so
far from the fervor that God required of the priests of
the Old Law, who were in comparison with us only
shadows." :
The Lord commanded even those that carried the
sacred vessels to be free from all stain: Be ye clean, you
who carry the vessels of the Lord? " How much greater,"
says Peter de Blois, " should be the purity of priests
who carry Jesus Christ in their hands and in their
breasts ?" 3 " He that holds in his hands not only golden
vessels," says St. Augustine, " but those vessels in which
the death of the Lord is commemorated, must be pure." 4
The Blessed Virgin Mary should be holy and free from
all stain, because she was to carry in her womb, and to
treat as a mother, the Incarnate Word. "Why, then,"
says St. John Chrysostom, " should not sanctity shine
forth with greater splendor than the sun, in the hand
that touches the flesh of a God? in the mouth that is
filled with celestial fire ? and in the tongue that is pur
pled with the blood of Jesus Christ ?" 5 The priest on
the altar holds the place of Jesus Christ. " He should,
then," says St. Laurence Justinian, " approach the altar
to offer sacrifice like Jesus Christ; imitating as much
as possible the purity and sanctity of Jesus Christ."6
How great the sanctity that a confessor requires in a
1 ' ' Vse nobis miseris, qui, ministerium altissimum sortiti, tarn pro-
cul absumus a fervore quern Salomon in umbraticis Sacerdotibus
exigebat." — In Ps. cxxxi. 7.
8 " Mundamini, qui fertis vasa Domini." — Is. Hi. n.
3 " Quanto mundiores esse oportet, qui in manibus et corpora portant
Christum!" — Epist. 123.
4 " Oportet mundum esse, qui non solum vasa aurea debet tractare,
sed etiam ilia in quibus Domini mors exercetur."
5 " Quo solari radio non splendidiorem oportet esse manum Carnem
hanc dividentem, os quod igne spiritual! repletur, linguam quae tre-
mendo nimis Sanguine rubescit ?" — Ad pop. Ant. horn. 60.
6 " Accedat ut Christus, ministret ut sanctus." — S. de Euchar.
58 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
nun, in order to permit her to communicate every day ?
And why is not the same perfection required in a priest
that celebrates every morning?
" It must be confessed," says the Council of Trent,
" that man can perform no action more holy than the
celebration of Mass." ] Hence the holy Council adds,
that priests should be most careful to offer this holy
sacrifice with the greatest possible purity of conscience."'
" But," says St. Augustine, " what a horrible thing to
hear the tongue that calls down the Son of God from
heaven to earth speaking against God; and to see the
hands that are bathed in the blood of Jesus Christ
polluted with the filthiness of sin." :
If God required so much purity in those that were to
offer the sacrifice of animals and of bread, and if he
forbid these oblations to be made by him who had any
blemish, — Whosoever hath a blemish, he shall not off er bread
to his God,'' — u how much greater purity," says Cardinal
Bellarmine, "is required in those that have to offer to
God his own Son, the divine Lamb?" ' St. Thomas
says that the word macula includes every defect:
"Whoever is addicted to airy vice should not be ad
mitted to Holy Orders." ° In the Old Law, the blind,
1 " Necessario fatemur nullum aliud opus adeo sanctum ac divinum
tractari posse, quam hoc tremendum mysterium."
2 " Satis apparet omnem operam in eo ponendam esse, quanta ut
maxima fieri potest interior! cordis munditia peragatur." — Scss. 22,
deer, de Observ.
3 " Ne lingua, quae vocat de ccelo Filium Dei, contra Dominum lo-
quatur; et manus. quse intinguntur sanguine Christi, polluantur san
guine peccati." — Molina, Instr. Sac. tr. i, c. 5, § 2.
4 " Qui habuerit maculam, non offeret panes Deosuo." — Lcvit. xxi.
17-
5 " Si tanta sanctitas requirebatur in Sacerdotibus qui sacrificabant
oves et boves, quid, quaeso, requiritur in Sacerdotibus qui sacrificant
divinum Agnum ?" — In Ps. cxxxi. 7.
6 " Qui est aliquo vitio irretitus, non debet ad ministerium Ordinis
accedere." — Suppl. q. 36, a. i.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 59
the lame, the lepers, were forbidden to offer sacrifice.
Neither shall he approach to minister to him, if he be blind,
if he be lame, if he be crooked-backed, if he have a continual
scab.1 Understanding the preceding defects in a spiri
tual sense, the holy Fathers say, that the blind, that is,
they that shut their eyes to the light of God; the lame,
that is, slothful priests that never advance in the way of
God, and live always with the same defects, without
mental prayer, and without recollection; the crooked-
backed, that are, by worldly attachments, always bent
down to the earth, to riches, to empty honors, and
worldly amusements; and the scabious, that is, the volup
tuous, that always wallow in sensual pleasures, The sow
that was washed to her wallowing in the mire? — are unfit to
offer sacrifice; in a word, that he that is not holy is un
worthy to approach the altar, because by the stains
that he brings with him he contaminates the sanctuary
of God. Let him not approach the altar, because he hath
a blemish, and he must not dejile my sanctuary?
III.
What should be the Sanctity of the Priest as Mediator
between God and Man.
The priest should be holy, because he holds the office
of dispenser of the sacraments;4 and also because he is
a mediator between God and sinners. " Between God
and man the priest stands," says St. John Chrysostom,
" by communicating to us God's benefits, and by offer-
1 " Nee accedet ad ministerium ejus. si caecus fuerit, si claudus, . . .
si gibbus, ... si habens jugem scabiem." — Levit. xxi. 18.
'2 " Sus lota in volutabro luti." — 2 Pet. ii. 22.
3 " Nee accedat ad altare, quia maculam habet, et contaminare non
debet sanctuarium meum." — Levit. xxi. 23.
4 " Oportet sine crimine esse, sicut Dei dispensatorem." — Tit. i. 7.
60 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
ing him our petitions; he reconciles the angry Lord, and
wards from us the blows of his justice." '
Through priests, God communicates his grace to the
faithful in the sacraments. Through them he makes us
his children, and saves us by baptism: Unless a man be
born again he cannot see the kingdom of God? Through
them he heals the infirm, and even resuscitates, by the
sacrament of penance, sinners that are dead to divine
grace. Through them he nourishes souls, and preserves
in them the life of divine grace, by means of the sacra
ment of the Eucharist: Except you eat the flesh of the Son
of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you?
Through them he gives strength to the dying, to over
come the temptations of hell, by means of the sacrament
of Extreme Unction.
In a word, St. John Chrysostom says, that without
priests we cannot be saved.4 By St. Prosper priests are
called judges of the divine will.5 By St. Chrysostom,
the walls of the Church.6 By St. Ambrose, the camps
of sanctity,7 and by St. Gregory Nazianzen, the foun
dations of the world, and the pillars of the faith.8
Hence St. Jerome says, that the priest by the power
of his sanctity has to carry the weight of all the sins
1 " Medius stat Sacerdos inter Deum et naturam humanam; illinc
venientia beneficia ad nos deferens, et nostras petitiones illuc perferens
Dominum iratum reconcilians, et nos eripiens ex illius manibus." — De
Vcrbis Is. horn. 5.
2 " Nisi quis renatus fuerit denuo, non potest videre regnum Dei."-
John, iii. 3.
3 "Nisi manducaveritis carnem Filii hominis, . . . non habebitis
vitam in vobis." — JoJm, vi. 54.
4 "Sine his, salutis compotes fieri non possumus." — De Sacerd. 1. 3.
8 " Divinae voluntatis Indices." — De Vita cont. \. 2, c. 2.
6 " Muros Ecclesise." — Horn. 10.
1 " Castra sanctitatis." — De Offic. 1. i, c. 50.
"Mundi Fundamenta et Fidei Columnas. " — Carm. ad Episc.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 61
of the world.1 Oh, what a tremendous weight ! And
the priest shall pray for him, and for his sins before the Lord,
.... and the sin shall be forgiven? It is on this account
that the holy Church obliges priests to recite the Office
every day, and to celebrate Mass at least several times
in the year. St. Ambrose says that priests should never
cease by night or by day to pray for the people.3
But to obtain graces for others the priest must be
holy. "Those that are mediators between God and the
people," says St. Thomas, "must shine before God with
a good conscience, and with a good reputation before
men."4 St. Gregory says that it would be temerity in
a mediator to present himself before a prince to ask
pardon for rebels, if he himself stood charged with the
guilt of treason.5 They that wish to intercede for an
other, adds the same saint, must stand high in the esti
mation of the king; for should they be objects of his
hatred, their intercession will only increase the indigna
tion of the sovereign." Hence, according to St. Augus
tine, the priest must have such merit before God that he
may be able to obtain for the people what they, on ac
count of their demerits, cannot hope to receive.7 And
1 " Sacerdotes onus totius orbis portant humeris sanctitatis." — Horn,
de Dedic. eccl.
2 " Orabitque pro eo Sacerdos et pro peccato ejus coram Domino, et
repropitiabitur ei, dimitteturque peccatum." — Levit. xix. 22.
3 "Sacerdotes die noctuque, pro plebe sibi commissa, oportet orare. "
— In I Tim. c. 3.
4 " Medii inter Deum et hominem plebem, debent bona conscientia
nitere quoad Deum, et bona fama quoad homines." — Suppl. q. 36, a. i.
5 "Qua mente apud Deum intercessoris locum pro populo arripit, qui
familiarem se ejus gratiae esse per vitae merita nescit?" — Past. p. I, c. n.
6 "Cum is qui displicet, ad intercedendum mittitur, irati animus ad
deteriora provocatur."
1 " Talem esse oportet Domini Sacerdotem. ut, quod populus pro se
apud Deum non valuerit, ipse pro populo mereatur impetrare." — In Ps.
xxxvi. s. 2.
62 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
Pope Hormisdas has said, " The priest must be holier
than the people, because he must pray for them." '
But St. Bernard says, with tears, " Behold, the world
is full of priests, and still there are but few mediators."2
Yes; for few priests are holy and worthy of being medi
ators. Speaking of bad ecclesiastics, St. Augustine says:
"To the Lord is more pleasing the barking of dogs than
the prayer of such priests. ": Father Marchese, in his
Journal of the Dominicans, writes that when a servant of
God of the Order of St. Dominic implored the Lord to
have pity on the people through the merits of priests,
he said to her that, by their sins, priests provoked rather
than appeased his anger.
IV.
What should be the Sanctity of the Priest given to the
People to be their Model.
Priests should be holy; because God has placed them
in the world as models of virtue. They are called by
St. John Chrysostom, "Teachers of piety;"4 by St.
Jerome, " Redeemers of the world;"5 by St. Prosper,
"Gates to the eternal city for all nations;"6 and by St.
Peter Chrysologus, "Models of virtue."7 Hence St. Isi-
dor has said, " Whoever leads people on the road of
1 " Emendatiorem esse convenit populo, quern necesse est orare pro
populo." — Dist. 61, can. Non neganms.
2 " Ecce mundus Sacerdotibus plenus est, et rarus invenitur mediator."
— (We have not found these words in St. Bernard, but the following are
St. Gregory's words: " Ecce mundus Sacerdotibus plenus est; sed tamen
in messe Dei rarus valde invenitur operator." — In Evang. horn. 17.)
3 " Plus placet Deo latratus canum, quam oratio talium clericorum."
— Cornel, a Lapid. in Lev. i. 17.
4 " Doctores pietatis." — Horn. 10.
5 "Salvatores mundi." — In Abdiam, 21.
6 " Januae civitatis seternre." — De Vila cont, 1. 2, c. 2.
7 " Forma virtutum." — Sertn. 26.
CHAP, iii] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 63
virtue, must himself be holy and blameless."1 Pope
Hormisdas has written: "Let him be blameless that
presides over others in order to reform them."2 And
St. Denis has pronounced that celebrated sentence, that
no one should dare to become the guide of others, un
less by his virtues he has made himself most like to
God.3 And according to St. Gregory, the sermons of
the priest whose life is not edifying, excite contempt
and produce no fruit.4 St. Thomas adds, " For the same
reason are disregarded all the spiritual functions of such
a one." ' Speaking of the priest of God, St. Gregory
Nazianzen writes: "The priest must first be cleansed
before he can cleanse others; he must first himself ap
proach God before he can lead others to him; he must
first sanctify himself before he can sanctify others; he
must first be himself a light before he can illumine
others." c
The hand that must wash away the stains and defile
ments of others must not be polluted, says St. Gregory.'
In another place he says that the torch that does not
1 " Qui in erudiendis atque instituendis ad virtutem populis praeerit,
necesse est ut in omnibus sanctus sit, et in nullo reprehensibilis. " — De
Offic. eal. 1. 2, c. 5.
2 " Irreprehensibiles esse oportet, quos necesse est praeesse corrigen-
dis." — Ep. ad Episc. Hispan,
3 " In divino omni non audendum aliis ducem fieri, nisi, secundum
omnem habitum suum, factus sit deiformissimus et Deo simillimus." —
De Ecd. Hier. c. 3.
4 "Cujus vita despicitur, restat ut ejus praedicatio contetnnatur."-
In Evang. horn. 12.
5 " Et eadem ratione, omnia spiritualia ab eis exhibita." — SuppL q.
36, a. 4.
6 " Purgari prius oportet, deinde purgare; ad Deum appropinquari, et
alios adducere; sanctificari, et postea sanctificare; lucem fieri, et alios
illuminare." — Apologet. I.
7 " Necesse est ut esse munda studeat manus, quae aliorum sordes
curat. " — Past. p. 2, c. 2.
64 Material for Sermcns. [PART i.
burn, cannot inflame others.1 And St. Bernard says,
that to him that loves not, the language of love is a
strange and a barbarous tongue.2
Priests are placed in the world as so many mirrors, in
which seculars should look at themselves: We are made
a spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men* Hence
the Council of Trent, speaking of ecclesiastics, says,
"Others fix their eyes upon them as upon a mirror, and
derive from them what they are to imitate.'" Philip
the Abbot used to say that priests are chosen to defend
the people, but for this their dignity is not sufficient;
sanctity of life is also necessary.6
V.
Practical Consequences.
Hence the Angelic Doctor, considering all that has
been said on the sanctity necessary for the priesthood,
has written, that to exercise Holy Orders worthily more
than ordinary virtue is required.6 Again he says, " Those
that devote themselves to the celebration of the divine
mysteries should be perfect in virtue."7 In another
place he says, " In order to exercise this office in a
1 " Lucerna quse non ardet, non accendit." — In Ezech. horn. n.
2 " Lingua amoris, ei qui non amat, barbara est." — In Cant. s. 79.
3 ' ' Spectaculum facti sumus mundo, et Angelis et hominibus." — i
Cor. iv. 9.
4 "In eos, tanquam in speculum, reliqui omnes oculos conjiciunt, ex
iisque sumunt quod imitentur." — Sess. 22, c. i, dc Ref.
5 " De medio populi segregantur, ut, non solum seipsos, verum et
populum tueantur; vero, ad hanc tuitionem, clericalis non sufficit prse-
rogativa dignitatis, nisi dignitati adjungatur cumulus sanctitatis." — De
Dignit. cler. c. 2.
6 ' ' Ad idoneam executionem Ordinum, non sufficit bonitas qualiscum-
que, sed requiritur bonitas excellens." — Suppl. q. 35, a. i.
1 " Illi, qui in divinis mysteriis applicantur, perfecti in virtute esse de-
bent." — In 4 Sent. d. 24, q. 3, a. i.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 65
worthy manner interior perfection is required." l Priests
should be holy, that they may give glory, and not dis
honor to that God whose ministers they are: They shall
be holy to their God, and shall not profane His name? Were
a minister of state seen playing in the public places,
frequenting public-houses, associating with the rabble,
speaking and acting in a manner calculated to reflect
dishonor on the king, what regard could such a minister
entertain for his sovereign ? By bad priests, who are
his ministers, Jesus Christ is covered with shame. St.
John Chrysostom says that of unholy priests the Gen
tiles might say, "What kind of a God have those that
do such things ? Would he bear with them if he did
not approve of their conduct?"3 Were the Chinese, the
Indians, to see a priest of Jesus Christ leading a scandal
ous life, they might say, how can we believe that the
God whom such priests preach is the true God ? were
he the true God, how could he bear them in their
wickedness without being a party to their crimes?
Hence the exhortation of St. Paul: In all things let us
exhibit ourselves as ministers of God.4' Let us, he says,
addressing priests, appear as true ministers of God, in
much patience— bearing with peace, poverty, infirmity, per
secutions; in watchings and fastings — vigilant in what re
gards the glory of God, mortifying the senses; in chastity,
in knowledge, in sweetness, in charity unfeigned — in guarding
holy purity, in attending to study in order to assist souls,
in practising meekness and true charity to our neighbor;
" Interior perfectio ad hoc requiritur, quod aliquis digne hujusmod
actus exerceat." — 2. 2, q. 184, a. 6.
2 " Sancti erunt Deo suo, et non polluent nomen ejus." — Levit. xxi. 6.
3 "Qualis est Deus eorum, qui talia agunt? numquid sustineret eos
talia facientes, nisi consentiret eorum operibus?" — Horn. 10.
4 " In omnibus exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros: in multa
patientia, in vigiliis, in jejuniis, in castitate, in scientia, in suavilate, in
caritate non ficta: quasi tristes, semper autem gaudentes; tanquam nihil
habentes, et omnia possidentes." — 2. Cor. vi. 4.
5
66 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing — appearing afflicted at
being deprived of the pleasures of the world, but enjoy
ing the peace which is the portion of the children of
God; as having nothing, but possessing all things — poor in
earthly goods, but rich in God; for he that possesses
God, possesses all things.
Such ought priests to be. In a word, they ought to
be holy; because they are the ministers of the God of
holiness: Be holy, because I am holy.1 They ought to be
prepared to give their lives for souls, because they are
the ministers of Jesus Christ, who, as he himself has
said, came to die for us who are his sheep: I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd giveth His life for His sheep?
They ought, in fine, to be entirely employed in inflam
ing all men with the holy fire of divine love; because
they are the ministers of the Incarnate Word, who came
into the world for that purpose: / am come to cast fire on
the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled?
David earnestly besought the Lord to grant, for the
benefit of the whole world, that his priests might be
clothed with justice: Let the priests be clothed with justice?
Justice comprises all virtues. Every priest should be
clothed with faith, by living according to the maxims
not of the world, but of faith. The maxims of the world
are: It is necessary to possess wealth and property, to
seek the esteem of others, to indulge in every amuse
ment within our reach. The maxims of faith are: Happy
are the poor; we should embrace contempt, deny our
selves, and love suffering. The priest must be clothed
with holy confidence; hoping for all things not from
1 "Sancti estote quia ego sanctus sum." — Levit. xi. 44.
2 " Ego sum Pastor bonus. Bonus Pastor animam suam dat pro ovi-
bus suis. " — John, x. n.
3 " Ignem veni mittere in terram; et quid volo, nisi ut accendatur?"
Luke, xii. 49.
4 " Sacerdotes tui induantur justitiam." — Ps. cxxxi. q.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 67
creatures, but only from God. He must be clothed
with humility, considering himself worthy of all pun
ishment and contempt; with meekness, being sweet to
all, particularly to the rude and passionate; with charity
towards God arid man: towards God, living in an entire
union of his soul with God, and making his heart, by
means of mental prayer, an altar on which the fire of
divine love always burns; and towards man, fulfilling the
instruction of the Apostle: Put ye on, therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy;1 and endeavor
ing to the best of his ability to relieve all in their spiri
tual and temporal necessities. I say all — even his per
secutors and those that treat him with ingratitude.
St. Augustine says: "Nothing in this world is more
advantageous or more honorable in the eyes of men
than the priestly office. But in the eyes of God nothing
is more formidable, important, and dangerous. "' It is
a great happiness and advantage to be a priest, to have
the power of making the Incarnate Word descend from
heaven into his hands, and of delivering souls from sin
and hell, to be the vicar of Jesus Christ, the light of the
world, the mediator between God and men, to be raised
and exalted above all the monarchs of the earth, to have
greater power than the angels, in a word, to be, as St.
Clement says, a God on earth: nothing more advantageous.
But, on the other hand, nothing more important and dan
gerous? For if in his hands, Jesus Christ descends to
be his food, the priest must be more pure than the
clearest water, as St. Francis of Assisi was told in a
vision. If he is a mediator before God in favor of men,
1 " Induite vos ergo, sicut elect! Dei, sancti et dilecti, viscera miseri-
cordiae." — Col. iii. 12. - .
2 " Nihil in hac vita felicius et hominibus acceptability Presbyteri
officio; sed nihil apud Deum miserius, et tristius, et damnabilius. " —
Epist. 21, E. B.
*• Const. A post. 1. 2, c. 26.
68 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
he must not appear before God stained with the guilt of
any sin; if he is the vicar of the Redeemer, he must be
like him in his life. If he is the light of the world, he
must be refulgent with the splendor of all virtues. In
fine, if he is a priest he must be holy. If he correspond
not with God's graces, the greater the gifts that he has
received, the more frightful the account that he shall
have to render to God. " For," says St. Gregory, " the
gifts of God while augmenting augment the account
that one has to render."1 St. Bernard says that, the
priest "holds a celestial office, that he is made an angel
of the Lord, and [adds the saint], as an angel he is
elected to glory or condemned to hell."5 St. Ambrose
says that a priest should be exempt even from the
smallest faults. " Not a mediocre and ordinary virtue
is suitable to the priest," says the same holy Doctor;
"he must be on his guard not only against shameful
falls, but even against light faults."1
Hence, if a priest is not holy, he is in great danger of
being lost. What do some, or rather the greater number
of priests do in order to acquire sanctity ? They say the
Office and Mass, and do nothing more: they live with
out making mental prayer, without mortification, with
out recollection. Some will say, It is enough for me to
be saved. " No," says St. Augustine, " it is not enough;
if you say that it is enough, you will be lost."4 To be
holy, the priest must lead a life of detachment from all
things, from worldly society, empty honors, etc.: and
particularly from inordinate attachment to relatives.
1 " Cum enim augentur dona, rationes etiam crescunt donorum." —
/;/ Evang. horn. 9.
- " Cceleste tenet officium, angelus Domini factus est; tanquam
angelus, aut eligitur, aut reprobatur." — Declam. n. 24.
3 " Neque enim mediocris virtus sacerdotalis est, cui cavendum, non
solum ne gravioribus flagitiis sit affinis, sed ne minimis quidem." —
Epist. 82.
4 " Si dixeris: Sufficit; — et peristi." — Serm. 169, E. B.
CHAP, in.] Sanctity Necessary for the Priest. 69
When they see him attend but little to the advancement
of his family, and wholly devoted to the things of God,
they say to him: Why dost thou do so to us?1 He must
answer them in the words of the Infant Jesus to his
mother when she found him in the temple: How is it
that you sought Me ? did you not know that I must be about
My Father's business I*1 Such should be the answer of a
priest to his relatives. Have you, he should say to them,
made me a priest ? Do you not know that a priest
should attend only to God ? Him only do I wish to
seek.
1 " Quid facis nobis sic?"
2 " Quid est quod me quaerebatis? nesciebatis quia, in his quae Patris
mei sunt, oportet me esse ?" — Luke, ii. 49.
70 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
CHAPTER IV.
GRIEVOUSNESS AND CHASTISEMENT OF SIN IN A PRIEST.
I.
Grievousness of Sin in a Priest.
THE sin of a priest is very grievous, because he sins
in view of the light: in consenting to sin he knows well
what he does. On this account St. Thomas says, " that
the sin of a Christian is more grievous than the sin of an
infidel: because he knows the truth." ' But the light of
a secular, though a Christian, is very different from that
of a priest. The priest is so well instructed in the
divine law that he teaches it to others. The lips of the
priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the laiu of his
mouth?' Hence St. Ambrose says, " that the sins of
those who know the law are very grievous, because they
are not excused by ignorance."3 Poor seculars sin, but
they sin in the midst of the darkness of the world, at a
distance from the sacraments, badly instructed in spir
itual things, and immersed in worldly business; they
have but little knowledge of God, and consequently
they see but imperfectly the evil that they do in con
senting to sin. To use the words of David, they shoot in
the dark* But priests are so full of light that they are
the luminaries by which the people are enlightened:
1 " Propter notitiam veritatis." — 2. 2, q. 10, a. 3.
2 " Labia enim Sacerdotis custodient scientiam, et legem requirent
ex ore ejus." — Mai. ii. 7.
3 "Scienti legem, et non facienti, peccatum est grande." — De
Dignit. sac. c. 3.
4 " Sagittant in obscuro." — Ps. x. 3.
CHAP, iv.] Gravity of Sin in a Priest. 71
You are the light of the world.1 They are well instructed
by so many books that they have read, by so many ser
mons that they have heard, by so many considerations
that they have made, by so many admonitions that they
have received from Superiors. In a word, to priests
is given to know the mysteries of God.2 Hence they
well understand the claims that God has to our love and
service, the malice of mortal sin, which is an enemy so
opposed to God that were he capable of destruction a
single mortal sin would, as St. Bernard says, destroy
him;3 and in another place the saint says: " Sin, as far as
in it lies, aims at the destruction of God." * Thus, accord
ing to St. Chrysostom, the sinner, as far as his will is
concerned, puts God to death.5 Hence Father Medina
writes that mortal sin does so much dishonor, and gives
so much displeasure to God, that were he capable of
grief, sin would make him die through pure sorrow.6
All this the priest understands well: he has also a per
fect knowledge of his obligations by which as a priest,
whom the Lord has so highly favored, he is bound to
serve and love God. The more perfectly, then, he sees
the enormity of the injury that he does to God by com
mitting sin, the more grievous the malice of his sin,7 says
St. Gregory.
Every sin of a priest is a sin of malice; it is like the
sin of the angels that sinned in view of the light, says
St. Bernard, speaking of a priest; hence he adds, " He
has become an angel of the Lord, and sinning as a
" Vos estis lux mundi." — Matth. v. 14.
2 " Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni Dei." — Luke, viii. 10.
3 " Peccatum est destructivum divinse bonitatis."
4 " Peccatum, quantum in se est, Deum perimit." — In Temp. Pasch.
s. 3.
5 " Quantum ad voluntatem suam, occidit Deum." — Horn. 40.
* "Peccatum mortale, si possibile esset, destrueret Deum, eo quod
esset causa tristitiae (in Deo) infinitae." — De Satisf. q. i.
1 " Quo melius videt, eo gravius peccat."
72 Material for Sermons. IPART i.
priest he sins in heaven." ' He sins in the midst of
light, and therefore his sin, as has been said, is a sin of
malice: he cannot allege ignorance, for he knows the
great evil of mortal sin: he cannot plead weakness, be
cause he knows the means by which, if he wishes, he
can acquire strength; if he is unwilling to adopt the
means, the fault is entirely his own. He would not under
stand that he might do well? According to St. Thomas,
the sin of malice is that which is committed with knowl
edge.3 And in another place he says: " Every sin com
mitted through malice is against the Holy Ghost."4
We know from St. Matthew that the sin against the
Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, neither in this world nor
in the world to come? That is, on account of the blind
ness caused by sins of malice they shall be pardoned
only with great difficulty.
Our Saviour prayed on the cross for his persecutors,
saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do* But for bad priests this prayer was a source rather
of condemnation than of salvation: for they know what
they do} Jeremias said with tears, How is the gold become
dim, the finest color is changed* " The gold which has
been obscured," says Cardinal Hugo, "is the sinful
priest who ought to shine forth with divine love; but by
committing sin he becomes black, and an object of hor
ror even to hell, and becomes more hateful to God than
1 " Angelus Domini factus est. In clero quippe, tanquam in coelo.
gerens iniqua." — Dcclam. n. 24.
2 " Noluit intelligere, ut bene ageret." — Ps. xxxv. 4.
3 " Scienter eligitur." — i. 2, q. 78, a. i.
4 " Omne peccatum ex malitia est contra Spiritum Sanctum." — D,
Malo, q. 3, a. 14.
5 " Non remittetur ei, neque in hoc saeculo, neque in futuro." —
Matth. xii. 32.
6 " Pater, dimitte illis; non enim sciiint quidfaciunt." — Zw/k',xxiii. 34.
7 " Sciunt quid faciunt."
8 " Quomodo obscuratum est aurum, mutatus est color optimus !"
CHAP, iv.] Gravity of Sin in a Priest. 73
other sinners." St. John Chrysostom says that the
Lord is not so much enraged against any sinner as
against him who, while he shines with the splendor of
the sacerdotal dignity, insults the divine majesty.1
The malice of the sins of a priest is increased by his in
gratitude to God, by whom he has been so highly ex
alted. St. Thomas teaches that the grievousness of sin
increases in proportion to the ingratitude of the sinner.
"We ourselves," says St. Basil, "are not so indignant at
any offence as at that which we receive from a friend
and familiar acquaintance."5 For this reason priests
are called by St. Cyril the most intimate friends of God.3
What greater exaltation can God give to a man than by
raising him to the dignity of his own priest ? " Enume
rate all the honors, all the dignities," says St. Ephrem;
"the priest surpasses them all."4 What greater honor,
what more exalted rank, could God confer upon him
than that of being his own representative, his coadjutor,
the sanctifier of souls, and the dispenser of his sacra
ments ? Priests are called by St. Prosper " Dispensers
in the royal house." ' The Lord has chosen the priest
from among so many men for his own minister to offer
to him in sacrifice his own very Son. He chose him, says
the Holy Ghost, out of all men living to offer sacrifice to
God? He has given him power over the body of Jesus
Christ, he has placed in his hands the keys of paradise,
he has raised him above all the kings of the earth, and
above all the angels in heaven; in a word, he has made
1 " Nulla re Deus magis offenditur, quam quando peccatores Sacer-
dotii dignitate praefulgent." — In Matth. horn. 41.
2 " Naturaliter magis indignamur his qui nobis familiarissimi sunt,
cum in nos peccaverint." — G fossa, in I Pet. iv,
3 "Dei intimi familiares."
4 " Enumera honores, dignitates; omnium apex est Sacerdos."
b " Dispensatores regiae domus.''
6 " Ipsum elegit ab omni vivente, offerre sacrificium Deo/' — Ecclus.
xlv. 20.
74 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
him, as it were, a God on earth: " A God on earth."1
What is tJiere that I ought to do more to my vineyard
that I have not done?* (Here God appears to speak
only of priests.) How horrible, then, the ingratitude of
the priest whom God has loved so tenderly, and who
insults the Lord in his own very house ? What is the
meaning, says Jeremias, that my beloved hath wrought much
wickedness in my house ? 3 Hence St. Gregory weeps and
says, " Alas ! my Lord God, those that should govern
Thy Church persecute you more than the rest."4
It appears, also, that it was of bad priests that God
complained when he called on heaven and earth to wit
ness the ingratitude with which he was treated by his
own children. Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth.
. . . I have brought up children and exalted them, but they
have despised me* And who are these children but
priests who, after being raised by God to such an eleva
tion, and nourished at his table with his owrn flesh, dare
to despise his love and his grace ? Of this he also com
plained by the mouth of David: If my enemy had reviled
me I would verily have borne it.* Were my enemy, were
an idolater, a heretic, or a worldling to offend me, I
would bear with him, but how can T bear to see myself
insulted by you, my priest, who are my friend and
fellow-guest ? But thou, a man of one mind, my guide and
1 " Deus terrenus."
2 "Quid est quod debui ultra facere vineae meae, et non feci ?" — Is.
v. 4.
3 "Quid est, quod dilectus meus, in domo mea, fecit scelera multa ?''
—Jer. xi. 15.
4 " Heu, Domine Deus, quia ipsi sunt in persecuticne tua primi, qui
videntur in Ecclesia tua gerere principatum." — In Convers. S, Pauli, s. I.
6 ''Audite, creli, et auribus percipe, terra. . . . filios enutrivi et
exaltavi; ipsi autem spreverunt me." — Is. i. 2,
6 "Si inimicus maledixjsset mihi, sustinuissem utique, . , . tu vero,
homo unanimis, dux meus et notus meus, qui simul mecum dukes
capiebas cibos '"— Ps. liv. 13.
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of the Sinful Priest. 75
my familiar, who didst take sweetmeats together with me.
The Prophet Jeremias weeps and exclaims: They that
were fed delicately, . . . they that were brought lip in scarlet,
have embraced the dung.1 Oh ! what a misery, what a
horrible thing, to see the man that fed on celestial food
and was clad in purple wearing the sordid garment of
sin, and feeding on filth and dung ! By the word
croceis the interpreters (resting on the Hebrew text that
were brought up in scarlet*} understand the purple; and
priests are said to be honored with the purple on account
of their regal dignity: You are a chosen nation, a kingly
priesthood?
II.
Chastisement of the Sinful Priest.
But let us now see the chastisement that awaits the
sinful priest — a chastisement proportioned to the griev-
ousness of his sin. According to the measure of the sin
shall the measure also of the stripes be* St. John Chrysostom
gives up as lost the priest that commits a single mortal
sin after his elevation to the priesthood.5 Terrible in
deed are the threats that the Lord has pronounced, by
the mouth of Jeremias, against priests who fall into sin.
For the prophet and the priest are dejiled, and in my house I
have found their wickedness, saith the Lord. Therefore,
their way shall be as the slippery way in the dark ; for they
err and fall therein!' What hope of life would you give
to him who, without light to guide his steps, should
1 " Qui vescebantur voluptuose, . . . qui nutriebantur in croceis,
amplexati sunt stercora !" — Lam. iv. 5.
2 " Qui in purpura educati fuerunt."
3 " Vos autem genus electum, regale Sacerdotium." — i Pet. ii. 9.
4 " Pro mensura peccati erit et plagarum modus." — Deiit. xxv. 2.
5 "Si privatim pecces, nihil tale passurus es; si in Sacerdotio peccas,
periisti." — In Act. Ap. horn. 3.
6 " Propheta namque et Sacerdos polluti sunt, et in domo mea inveni
malum eorum, ait Dominus. Idcirco via eorum erit quasi lubricum in
tenebris; impellentur enim, et corruent in ea." — -Jer. xxiii. n.
76 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
walk on a slippery way along the brink of a precipice,
and who should from time to time be violently assailed
by enemies endeavoring to cast him down the precipice ?
This is the miserable state into which a priest who com
mits mortal sin has brought himself.
The slippery way in the dark. By sin the priest loses
light and becomes blind. // had been better for them not
to have known the way of justice ', than after they had known
it, to turn back.1 How much better would it be for the
priest that falls into sin to have been a poor uninstructed
peasant, who had never known the law! For, after so
much knowledge learned from books, from sermons,
from directors, and after so many illuminations received
from God, the miserable man, by yielding to sin and
trampling under foot all the graces that God had be
stowed upon him, shall make all the lights received
serve to increase his blindness, and to keep him in the
state of perdition. " Greater knowledge is followed by
greater punishment," says St. John Chrysostom.2 And
the saint adds: " The sin to which the priest consents
may be committed by many seculars, but his chastise
ment shall be far more severe, because his blindness
shall be far greater than theirs." -He shall receive the
punishment threatened by the Prophet: That seeing they
may not see, and hearing may not understand?
"And this," says the same St. John Chrysostom, "we
know from experience that a secular after committing
sin is easily induced to do penance."' A secular who
falls into sin, if he attends a mission, or is present at a
sermon in which he hears some eternal truth regarding
1 " Melius erat illis non cognoscere viam justitiae, quam, post agnitio-
nem, retrorsum converti." — "2 Pet. ii. 21.
2 " Major scientia majoris posna^ fit materia. Propterea Sacerdos, si
eadem cum subditis peccata committit, non eadem, sed multa acerbiora
patietur." — Ad pop. Ant. horn. 77.
3 " Ut videntes non videant, et audientes non intelligant." — Luke, viii.
10; Isa. vi, 9.
4 " Saecularis homo, post peccalum, facile ad poenitentiam venit."
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of the Sinful Priest. 77
the malice of sin, the certainty of death, the rigor of the
divine judgment, or the pains of hell, easily enters into
himself and returns to God; "because/' says the saint,
" these truths are new to him, and fill him with terror." *
But what impression can the eternal truths and the
menaces of the holy Scriptures make on a priest that
has trampled on the grace of God, and on all the lights
and knowledge that he has received ? " All that is con
tained in Scripture," continues the holy Doctor, " appears
to him as something obsolete and worthless, for every
thing terrible has by use lost its power."5 Hence he
concludes that there is nothing more impossible than to
reform a person who sins with a perfect knowledge of
the law.3
"Great indeed," says St. Jerome, "is the dignity
of priests, but great also is their perdition, if in the
priesthood they turn their back on God."4 "The
greater the height," says St. Bernard, "to which God
has raised them, the more precipitous and ruinous shall
be their fall." ' He that falls on level ground is seldom
severely hurt, but the man that falls from a great height
is said not to fall, but to be precipitated, and therefore
his fall is mortal. " As when we fall on a plain, we do
ourselves rarely any harm," says St. Ambrose, " so when
we fall from a height, we not only fall, but are precipi
tated, and the fall becomes more dangerous." 6 " Let us
1 " Quia, quasi novum aliquid audiens, expavescit."
2 " Omnia enim quae sunt in Scripturis ante oculos ejus inveterata et
vilia sestimantur; nam quidquid illic terrible est, usu vilescit."
:! " Nihil autem impossibilius, quam ilium corrigere qui omnia scit."
— Horn. 40.
4 " Grandis dignitas Sacerdotum; sed grandis ruina eorum, si peccant."
— In Ezech. xliv.
5 " Ab altiori gradu fit casus gravior." — Declam. n. 25.
6 " Ut levius est de piano corruere, sic gravius est qui de sublimi ce-
ciderit dignitate; quia ruina quse de alto est, graviori casu colliditur."
— De Dignit. sac. c. 3.
78 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
who are priests," says St. Jerome, " rejoice at our ele
vation to so great a height, but let our fear of falling
be proportioned to our exaltation." It is to the priest
that the Lord appears to speak by the Prophet Ezechiel,
when he says, / set thee on the holy mountain of God, and
thou hast sinned; and I cast thee out from the mountain of
God and destroyed thee? O priests ! says the Lord, I have
placed you on my holy mountain, and have made you
the luminaries of the world: You are the light of the
world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid? Justly,
then, has St. Laurence Justinian said that the greater
the grace that God has bestowed on priests, the more
severe the chastisement that their sins deserve; and the
more elevated the state to which he has raised them, the
more disastrous shall be their fall.4 He that falls into
a river sinks deeper in proportion to the height from
which he has fallen,5 says Peter de Blois. Beloved
priest, remember that in elevating you to the sacerdotal
state God has raised you up to heaven, by making you
a man no longer earthly, but altogether celestial: If you
sin, you fall from heaven. Consider, then, how ruinous
and destructive shall be your fall. " What is higher
than heaven ?" says St. Peter Chrysologus; " he therefore
falls from heaven that mingles sin with heavenly func
tions."0 Your fall, according to St. Bernard, shall be
like that of a thunderbolt, which rushes headlong with
vehement impetuosity.7 That is, your destruction is
1 ' ' Laetemur ad ascensum, sed timeamus ad lapsum." — In Ezech. xliv.
2 " Posui te in monte sancto Dei, . , . et peccasti; et ejeci te de
monte Dei, et perdidi te." — Ezech, xxviii. 14.
3 ' ' Vos estis lux mundi. Non potest civitas abscondi, supra montem
posita." — Matt. v. 14.
4 " Quo est gratia cumulatior, et status sublimior, eo casus est gravior,
et damnabilior culpa. " — De Compunct. p. I.
6 " Altius mergitur, qui de alto cadit."
6 " Quid altius coelo? De coelo cadit, in coelestibus qui delinquit." —
Serm. 26.
1 ' ' Tanquam fulgur in impetu vehement! dejicieris." — Dedam^ n.. 2£
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of the Sinful Priest. 79
irreparable.1 In your unhappy soul is verified the threat
of the Lord against Capharnaum: And thou, Capharnaum,
which art exalted unto heaven, thou shalt be thrust down to
hell?
Such the chastisement that the priest that falls into
sin merits on account of his infinite ingratitude to God.
He owes more gratitude to God than others, because he
has received greater favors, says St. Gregory.3 The un
grateful, as a learned author says, deserve to be deprived
of all the favors that they have received.4 Jesus Christ
has said : To every one that hath, shall be given, and he shall
abound; but from him that hath not, that also which he
seemeth to have shall be taken away? Upon those that are
grateful to God he shall pour his graces more abundant
ly; but the priest who after so many lights and so many
Communions turns his back on God, despises all his
favors, and renounces his grace, shall be justly deprived
of all. The Lord is liberal to all, but not to the un
grateful. "Ingratitude," says St. Bernard, "dries up
the sources of divine favors." (
Hence St. Jerome justly says, "There is not in the
whole world a monster to be compared with a priest in
the state of sin, for the unfortunate man will not bear
with correction."7 And St. John Chrysostom, or the
author of the "Imperfect Work," writes: "When lay
persons sin, they easily amend. As for priests, once
1 " Corruent in ea." — Jcr. xxiii. 12.
2 " Et tu, Capharnaum, usque ad coelum exaltata, usque ad infernum
demergeris. " — Luke, x. 15.
3 " Cum enim augentur dona, rationes etiam crescunt donorum." — In
Evang. horn. 9.
4 " Ingratus meretur beneficii subtractionem."
" Omni enim habenti dabitur, et abundabit; ei awtem qui non habet,
et quod videtur habere, auferetur ab eo." — Matt. xxv. 29.
6 " Ingratitude exsiccat fontem divinae pietatis." — In Cant. s. 51.
7 " Nulla certe in mundo tarn crudelis bestia, quam mains Sacerdos;
nam corrigi non patitur." — Eusebius, Ep. ad Dam. de morte Hier..
So Material for Sermons. [PART i.
bad, they are incorrigible." ' To priests that fall into
sin, we may, with St. Peter Damian,2 apply in a special
manner the words of the Apostle: // is impossible for those
that were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift,
and were made, partakers of the Holy Ghost, and are fallen
away, to be renewed again to penance? Who has been more
enlightened than the priest? Who has tasted more fre
quently the heavenly gifts, and partaken more abundant
ly of the Holy Ghost? St. Thomas says that the rebel
angels remained obstinate in sin, because they sinned in
view of the light; and St. Bernard writes that God shall
treat the sinful priest in a similar manner, that is, " the
priest having become an angel of the Lord, must expect
either the reward or the reprobation of an angel." " Our
Lord said to St. Bridget: " I see on earth pagans and
Jews, but I see none so wicked as priests; they are guilty
of the same sin that Lucifer committed."5 And let it
be observed in this place, that, according to Innocent
III., many things are venial sins in seculars that are
mortal in ecclesiastics."
To priests we may also apply what St. Paul says in
another place: The earth that drinketh in the rain which
cometh often upon it, .... and bringeth forth thorns and
briers, is reprobate and very near unto a curse, whose end is
1 "Laid delinquentes facile emendantur; clerici, si mali fuerint, ine-
mendabiles sunt." — Horn. 43.
2 Epist. 1. 4, ef. 3-
3 " Impossible est enim, eos, qui semel sunt illuminati, gustaverunt
etiam donum coeleste, et participes facti sunt Spiritus Sancti, . . . et
prolapsi sunt, rursus renovari ad poenitentiam." — Heb. vi. 4.
4 " Angelus Domini factus est; tanquam angelus, aut eligitur, aut re-
probatur." — Declam. n. 24.
5 " Ego conspicio paganos et Judaeos; sed nullos video deteriores
quam Sacerdotes: ipsi sunt in eodem peccato quo cecidit Lucifer. "-
Rev. 1. i, c. 47.
6 " Multa sunt laicis venialia, quae clericis sunt mortalia." — In Consecr,
Pont. s. i.
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of the Sinful Priest. 8 1
to be burnt.1 What showers of grace has the priest con
tinually received from God ! And, after all, he brings
forth briers and thorns instead of fruit. Miserable
man ! he is on the point of being reprobated, of receiv
ing the final malediction, and of being sent in the end,
after so many favors from God, to burn forever in the
fire of hell. But what dread has the priest that turns
his back on God of the fire of hell ? Priests who fall
into sin lose light, and lose also the fear of God. Be
hold, the Lord himself assures us of this. If I be a
master, where is My fear, saith the Lord of Hosts, to you,
O Priests, that despise My name ? 2 St. Bernard says that
priests falling from on high remain so immersed in their
malice, that they forget God, and disregard the divine
threats to such a degree that the danger of their dam
nation has no longer any terror for them.3
But why should that excite our wonder, since by com
mitting sin the priest falls from an immense height into
a deep pit, in which he is bereft of light, and therefore
despises all things; verifying in himself the words of
the Wise Man: The wicked man when he is come into the
depth of sins, contemncth? The wicked man: this wicked
man is the priest that sins through malice: into the
depth; by a single mortal sin, the priest sinks to- the
depth of misery and remains in blindness; contemneth;
and thus he despises chastisements, admonitions, the
presence of Jesus Christ who is near him on the altar:
1 " Terra enim saepe venientem super se bibens imbrem, . . . profer
ens autem spinas ac tribulos, reproba est, et maledicto proxiina: cujus
consummatio in combustionem." — Hcb. vi. n.
2 " Si Dominus ego sum, ubi est timor meus? dicit Dominus exerci-
tuum ad vos, o Sacerdotes, quid despicitis nomen meum !" — Mai. i. 6.
3 " Alto quippe demersi oblivionis somno, ad nullum Dominican com-
minationis tonitruum expergiscuntur, ut suum periculum expavescant."
In Cant. s. 77.
4 " Impius, cum in profundum venerit peccatorum, contemnit."-
Prov, xviii. 3.
82 Material for Sermons. [PART i
he despises all, and blushes not to surpass in malice
Judas, the betrayer of Jesus Christ. Of this our Lord
complained to St. Bridget: " Such priests are not my
priests, but they are real traitors." ' Yes, real traitors,
who avail themselves of the celebration of Mass to out
rage Jesus Christ by sacrilege.
But what shall be the unhappy end of such priests?
Behold it: /;/ the land of the saints he hath done wicked
things, and he shall not see the glory of the Lord? The end
shall be, first, abandonment of God, and then the fire of
hell. But, Father, some may say, this language is too
terrific. Do you, they ask, wish to drive us to despair?
I answer with St. Augustine, " being myself frightened,
I frighten others."1 Then a priest who has offended
God since his ordination may ask, Is there no hope of
pardon for me? Yes, there is hope, if he repents and.
entertains a horror for the evil he has done. Let such
a priest, then, thank the Lord with his whole heart if
he, too, finds himself aided by divine grace; but he must
instantly give himself to that God who calls him. " Let
us listen to the Lord," says St. Augustine, "while he is
calling us, lest he may turn a deaf ear to us when he
judges us."4
III.
Exhortation.
From this day forward, let us, dearly beloved priests,
learn to esteem our noble elevation, and regarding our-
1 " Tales Sacerdotes non sunt mei Sacerdotes, sed veri proditores."-
Rev. 1. i, c. 47.
2 " In terra sanctorum iniqua gessit, et non videbit gloriam Domini."
— Isa. xxv i. 10.
3 " Territus, terreo." — Serni. 40, E. B.
4 " Audiamus ilium, dum rcgat, ne nos postea non audiat, dum judi-
cat." — Scrm. 29, E. B. app.
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of 'the Sinful Priest. 83
selves as ministers of a God, let us blush to become the
slaves of sin and of the devil, says St. Peter Damian.1
Let us not imitate the folly of seculars that think only
of the present. // is appointed unto men once to die, and
after this the judgment? We must all appear at this
judgment: We must all be manifested before the judgment
seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of
the body, according as he hath done? To each of us the
Judge shall say: Give an account of thy stewardship? That
is, of your priesthood; how have you exercised it? for
what end have you exercised it ? Dearly beloved priest,
were you now to be judged, would you feel satisfied and
content with the manner in which you have discharged
your ministry? Or would you not say: When he shall
examine, what shall I answer him ? 5 When the Lord
chastises a people, the chastisement begins with the
priest, for he is the cause of the sins of the people,
either by his bad example, or by his negligence in at
tending to their sanctification. Hence the Lord says,
The time is that judgment should begin at the house of God?
In the slaughter described by Ezechiel, God wished the
priests to be the first victims of his vengeance: Begin ye
at my sanctuary? That is, says Origen, " with the priests."
A most severe judgment, says the Wise Man, for them that
bear rule? And unto whom, says Jesus Christ, nmch is
1 ' ' Nobilem necesse est esse Sacerdotem, ut, qui minister est Domini,
erubescat se servum esse peccati." — Ofusc. 25, c. 2.
2 " Statutum est hominibus semel mori; post hoc autem, judicium.*'
— Heb. ix. 27.
3 " Omnes nos enim manifestari oportet ante tribunal Christi, ut re-
ferat unusquisque propria corporis, prout gessit." — 2 Cor. v. 10.
4 " Redde rationem vilicationis tuae." — Luke, xvi. 2,
5 "Cum quaesierit, quid respondebo illi?" — Job, xxxi. 14.
6 "Tempus est ut incipiat judicium a domo Dei." — I Pet. iv. 17.
7 " A sanctuario meo incipite." — Ezech. ix. 6.
* "Judicium durissimum, his qui praesunt, fiet." — Wisd. vi. 6.
84 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
given, of him much shall be required.1 The author of the
"Imperfect Work" says, "On the day of judgment the
secular will receive the priestly stole, but the sinful
priest will be deprived of the priestly dignity, and
ranked among infidels and hypocrites."2 Hear ye this,
O priests! says the Prophet Osee, . . . for there is judg
ment against you?
And as the judgment of priests is most rigorous, so
also shall their damnation be most miserable. With a
double destruction destroy them, says Jeremias.4 A Council
of Paris repeats these words of St. Jerome, already
cited: " Great is the dignity of priests, but if they hap
pen to fall into sin, very great will also be their ruin." !
And St. John Chrysostom says, " If a priest were to
commit only the sins of which the simple faithful be
come guilty, he would incur not a similar but a more
rigorous chastisement." f It was revealed to St. Bridget
that priests who are sinners " will find themselves deeper
in hell than all the other damned." Oh! how great
the rejoicing of the devils when a priest enters hell ? All
hell is in confusion to meet the priest who comes. Hell
below, says Isaias, was in an uproar to meet thee at thy
coming. . , . All the princes of the earth have risen from
1 " Omni autem cui multum datum est, multum quaeretur ab eo." —
Luke, xii. 48.
2 " Laicus, in die judicii, stolam sacerdotalem accipiet; Sacerdos autem
peccator spoliabitur* dignitate, et erit inter infideles et hypocritas." —
Horn. 40.
3 " Audite hoc, Sacerdotes: . . . quia vobis judicitim est." — Osee, v. i.
4 " Duplici contritione contere eos." — Jer. xvii. 18.
5 " Grandis dignitas Sacredotum, sed grandis ruina, si peccant." — In
Ezcch. xliv.
6 "Sacerdos, si eadem cum subditis peccata committit, non eadem,
sed multo acerbiora patietur." — Ad pop. Ant. horn. 77.
7 " Prae omnibus diabolis, profundius submergentur in infernum." —
Rev. 1. 4, c. 135.
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of the Sinful Priest. 85
their thrones. All Lhe princes of that land of woe rise up
to give the first place of torment to the damned priest.
All, continues the prophet, shall answer and say to thee :
Thou also art wounded as well as we, thou art become like
unfo tts.1 O priest, you once ruled over us, you have so
often made the Incarnate Word descend on the altars,
you have delivered so many souls from hell, and now
you have become like us, miserable and tormented as we
are: Thy pride is brought to hell. Your pride, by which
you have despised God and your neighbor, has in the
end brought you to this land of misery, Thy carcass is
fallen down : under thee shall the moth be strewed, and
worms shall be thy covering?1 As a king you shall have a
royal couch and a purple robe: behold, fire and worms
shall forever corrode your body and your soul. Oh!
how shall the devils then scoff at all the Masses, sacra
ments, and sacred functions of the damned priest! And
have mocked at her sabbaths?
Be attentive, dearly beloved priests, for the devils
tempt one priest more than a hundred seculars; because
a priest that is lost brings with him many seculars to
hell. St. Chrysostom says, " To take away the shep
herds is to scatter the flocks."4 In a work that is found
among the works of St. Cyprian we read this very just
remark: "In war, the combatants endeavor first of all
to kill the enemy's commanders." 5 St. Jerome adds:
1 " Infernus subter conturbatus est in occursum adventus tui. . . .
Omnes principes terrae surrexerunt de soliis suis. . . . Universi re-
spondebunt, et dicent tibi: Et tu vulneratus es sicut et nos, nostri
similis effectus es." — Isa. xiv. 9, 10.
2 " Detracta est ad inferos superbia tua, concidit cadaver tuutn; sub
ter te sternetur tinea, et operimentum tuum erunt vermes." — Ibid. u.
3 " Et deriserunt sabbata ejus."— Lam. i. 7.
" Qui pastorem de medio tulerit, totum gregem dissipat." — In r
Tim. horn. I.
"Plus duces, quam milites, appetuntur in pugna." — Inter op. S.
Cypr. De SinguL cler.
86 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
" The devil does not go in search of infidels and those
that are outside" (that is, who are outside of the sanc
tuary); u he looks for booty in the Church of Christ, for
according to Habacuc they are his choice food."1 To
the devils, the souls of ecclesiastics are the most de
licious food.
[What follows may serve to supply motives of com
punction in the act of contrition.]
Dearly beloved priests, the Lord appears to say to
you what he said to the Jewish people:
What have I done to thee ? Or in what have I grieved
thee ? Answer me ? Tell me, what evil have I done you:
have I not, on the contrary, bestowed many favors upon
you ?
/ brought thee out of the land of Egypt. I have drawn
you out of the world, I have selected you from among
so many seculars, to make you my priest, my minister,
my familiar: thou hast^prepared a cross for thy Saviour :
and you, for a miserable interest, for a vile pleasure,
have again nailed me to the cross.
I fed thee with manna in the desert : in the wilderness
of this earth I have fed you every morning with the
celestial manna, that is, with my divine flesh, and with
my blood : and thou hast beaten me with buffets and stripes.
What more should I have done to thee, and have not done ?
I have planted thee for my most beautiful vineyard; and
thou hast proved very bitter to me. I have destined you
for the vineyard of my delight, planting in you so
many lights and so many graces, that they might pro
duce sweet and precious fruits; and you have given me
only fruits of bitterness.
I gave thee the royal sceptre. I have made you a king,
and have exalted you above all the kings of the earth:
1 " Non quaerit diabolus homines infideles, non eos qui foris sunt; de
Ecclesia Christi rapere festinat; escae ejus, secundum Habacuc, electae
sunt." — Ep. ad Eustoch.
CHAP, iv.] Chastisement of the Sinful Priest, 87
and thou hast given me a crown of thorns, by the bad
thoughts to which you have consented.
/ raised thee on high. I have raised you to the dignity of
my representative, and have given you the keys of heaven ;
I have, in fine, made you, as it were, a God on earth:
And thou hast hanged me on the gibbet of the cross,1 and you
have despised all my graces, my friendship, nailing me
again to the cross, etc.
1 " Quid feci tibi, aut in quo contristavi te? responde mihi.
Eduxi te de terra ^Egypti: et tu parasti crucem Salvatori tuo.
Ego te pavi manna per desertum: et tu me cecidisti alapis et
flagellis.
Quid ultra debui facere tibi, et non feci ? Ego plantavi te vineam
speciosissimam: et tu facta es mihi nimis amara.
Ego dedi tibi sceptrum regale: et tu dedisti capiti meo spineam
coronam.
Ego te exaltavi: et tu me suspendisti in patibulo crucis." — Im-
properia, sung on Good Friday.
88 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
CHAPTER V.
THE INJURY THAT TEPIDITY DOES TO THE PRIEST.
I.
To what the Tepid Priest is Exposed.
THE Lord commanded St. John in the Apocalypse to
write to the Bishop of Ephesus the following words: /
know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience? I know well
all that you do; I know your labors for my glory; I know
your patience in the toils of your office. But he adds:
But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first charity?' But I must reprove you for having fallen
away from your first fervor. But what great evil was
there in this ? What great evil ? Listen to what our
Lord adds: Be mindful, therefore, from whence thou art
fallen; and do penance, and do the first works : or else I come
to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place? Re-
member'whence you have fallen; do penance, and re
turn to the first fervor, with which, as my minister, you
are bound to live, otherwise I will reject you as un
worthy of the ministry that I have committed to you.
Is tepidity, then, productive of so much ruin ? Yes,
it brings with it great ruin, and the greatest evil is, that
this ruin is not known, and is, therefore, neither avoided
nor dreaded by the tepid, and especially by priests. The
1 " Scio opera tua, et laborem,' et patientiam tuam." — Apoc. ii. 2.
a " Sed habeo adversum te, quod caritatem tuam primam reliquisti."
—Ib. 4.
3 ' ' Memor esto itaque unde excideris, et age poenitentiam, et prima
opera fac; sin autem, venio tibi, et movebo candelabrum tuum de loco
suo." — Ib. 5.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 89
majority of them are shipwrecked on this blind rock of
tepidity, and therefore many of them are lost. I call it
a blind rock: because the great danger of perdition to
which the tepid are exposed consists in this, that their
tepidity does not allow them to see the great havoc that
it produces in the soul. Many are unwilling to be
altogether separated from Jesus Christ; they wish to
follow him, but they wish to follow him at a distance,
like St. Peter, who, when the Redeemer was seized in
the %ax&&\, followed him from afar off.1 But they that
act in this manner, shall easily fall into the misfortune
which befell St. Peter, who, when charged by a servant
maid with being a disciple of the Redeemer, thrice
denied Jesus Christ.
He that contemneth small things shall fall by little and
little?' The interpreter applies this passage to the tepid
Christian, and says that he shall first lose devotion, and
shall afterwards fall,3 passing from venial sins, which
he has disregarded, to grievous and mortal offences.
Eusebius Emissenus says that he that is not afraid to
offend God by venial faults shall scarcely be exempt
from mortal sins.4 "By a just judgment," says St.
Isidore, " the Lord will permit him that despises minor
transgressions to fall into grievous crimes." ' Trifling
maladies, when few, do little injury to health, but when
they are numerous and frequent, they bring on mortal
diseases. "You guard against great faults," says St.
Augustine, " but what do you do in regard to light faults?
You have shaken the mountain: take care that you be
1 " Petrus autem sequebatur eum a longe." — Matth. xxvi. 58.
'2 " Qui spernit modica, paulatim decidet." — Ecclus. xix. i.
3 " Decidet a pietate, a statu gratiae in statum peccati."
4 " Difficile est ut non cadere in gravia permittatur, qui minus gravia
non veretur." — Homil. init. quadr.
5"Judicio autem divino in reatum nequiorem labuntur, qui dis-
tringere minora sua facta contemnunt." — Sent. \. 2, c. ig.
90 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
not crushed by a heap of sand." ' You are careful to
avoid grievous falls, but you fear not small ones; you
are not deprived of life by the great rock of any mortal
sin, but beware, says the saint, lest by a multitude of
venial sins you be crushed as by a heap of sand. We all
know that only mortal sin kills the soul, and that venial
sins, however great their number, cannot rob the soul of
divine grace. But it is also necessary to understand
what St. Gregory teaches, that the habit of committing
light faults without remorse, and without an effort to
correct them, gradually deprives us of the fear of God;
and when the fear of God is lost, it is easy to pass from
venial to mortal sins.2 St. Dorotheus adds, tha.t by
despising light faults we expose ourselves to the danger
of falling into perfect insensibility.3 He that disregards
small offences is in danger of general insensibility, so
that afterwards he shall feel no horror even of mortal
sins.
St. Teresa, as the Roman Rota attests, never fell into
any mortal sin; but still our Lord showed her the place
prepared for her in hell, not because she had deserved
hell, but because, had she not risen from the state of
tepidity in which she lived, she should in the end have
lost the grace of God, and should be damned. Hence
the Apostle says, Give not place to the devil? The devil
is satisfied when we begin to open the door to him by
disregarding small faults; for he shall then labor to
open it perfectly, by leading us into grievous trans
gressions. " Do not imagine," says Cassian, " that any
1 " Magna praecavisti! de minutis quid agis? Projecisti molem!
vide ne arena obruaris." — In Ps. xxxix.
2"Ut, usu cuncta levigante, nequaquam post committere etiam
graviora timeamus." — Mor. 1. 10, c. 14.
3 " Periculum est ne in perfectam insensibilitatem deveniamus." —
Doctr. 3.
4 " Nolite locum dare diabolo." — £ph. iv. 27.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 91
one falls at once into ruin."1 That is, when you hear
of the fall of a spiritual soul, do not imagine that the
devil has suddenly precipitated her into sin; for he has
first brought her into tepidity, and then has cast her
into the precipice of enmity with God. Hence St. John
Chrysostom says that he knew many persons adorned
with all virtues, who afterwards fell into tepidity, and
from tepidity into an abyss of vice.2 It is related in the
Teresian Chronicles, that Sister Anne of the Incarnation
once saw in hell a person whom she had regarded as a
saint: on her countenance appeared a multitude of
small animals, which represented the multitude of de
fects that she committed and disregarded during life.
Of these some were heard to say, By us you began; others,
By us you continued; others, By us you have brought yourself
to hell.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot* says
our Lord, through St. John, to the Bishop of Laodicea.
Behold the state of a tepid soul, neither cold nor hot.
" The tepid person," says Father Menochius in his ex
position of this passage, " is one that does not dare
offend God knowingly and willingly, but is one that
neglects to strive after a more perfect life, and hence
easily gives himself up to his passions."4 A tepid priest
is not manifestly cold, because he does not knowingly
and deliberately commit mortal sins; but neglecting to
seek after the perfection to which he is bound by the
1 " Lapsus quispiam nequaquam subitanea ruina corruisse credendus
est." — Coll. 6, c. 17.
2 " Novimus multos, omnes virtutes numero habuisse, et tamen,
negligentia lapses, ad vitiorum barathrum devenisse." — In Matth. horn.
27.
3 " Scio opera tua, quia neque frigidus es, neque calidus."— Apoc.
iii. 15.
4 " Tepidus est qui non audet Deum mortaliter sciens et volens
offendere, sed perfectioris vitae studium negligit, unde facile concupi-
scentiis se committit." — In Apoc. iii. 16.
92 Material for Sermons. [PARTI
obligations of his state, he makes little of venial sins, he
commits many of them every day without scruple, by
lies, by intemperance in eating and drinking, by im
precations, by distraction at the Office and Mass, by de
tractions, by jests opposed to modesty: he leads a life
of dissipation in the midst of worldly business and
amusements; he cherishes dangerous desires and attach
ments; full of vainglory, of human respect and self-
esteem, he cannot bear a contradiction or a disrespectful
word; he neglects mental prayer, and is destitute of
piety. Father Alvarez de Paz says that the defects and
faults of a tepid soul are " like those light indispositions
that do not cause death, but that weaken the body in
such a manner that a grave malady cannot supervene
without destroying the body which has no longer the
power of resisting." ' The tepid Christian is like a sick
man who has labored under many light maladies, which,
because they are incessant, reduce him to such a state
of debility, that as soon as he is attacked by any serious
disease, that is, by a strong temptation, he has not
strength to resist, and falls, but falls with greater ruin.
Hence the Lord continues to address the tepid bishop,
saying, / would thou wert cold or hot, but because thou art
lukewarm, I will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth? Let
him that finds himself miserably fallen into the state of
tepidity, consider these words and tremble.
/ would that thou wert cold! Better, says the Lord,
that you were cold, that is, deprived of my grace, for
then there should be greater reason to hope for your re
covery from so miserable a state; but by remaining in
1 " Sunt velut irremissae aegrotatiunculae, quae vitam quidem non dis-
solvunt, sed ita corpus extenuant, ut accedente aliquo gravi morbo
statim corpus, vires non habens resistendi, succumbat." — De Perf. 1.
5, p. 2, c. 1 6.
2 " Utinam frigidus esses, aut calidus! sed quia tepidus es, et nee
frigidus nee calidus, incipiam te evomere ex ore meo."
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 93
it, you shall be exposed to greater danger of rushing
into grievous sins without any hope of ever emerging
from them. " Although he that is cold," says Cornelius
a Lapide, " is worse than he that is tepid, yet the con
dition of the tepid is worse, since the danger of falling
is greater, without any hope of recovery." " St. Bernard
says that it is easier to convert a wicked layman than a
tepid ecclesiastic. Pereira adds, that it is more easy to
bring an infidel to the faith, than to renew a tepid
Christian in the spirit of fervor.2 And Cassian has said
that he saw many sinners consecrate themselves to God
with their whole heart, but that he knew no one that
had risen from tepidity to fervor.3 St. Gregory holds
out hopes to a sinner not yet converted, but he despairs
of him who, after having repented, and given himself to
God with fervor, falls into tepidity. Beholds his words:
" However tepid any one may be, there is always a hope
that sooner or later his fervor will be reanimated; but
of any one that falls little by little from fervor into
tepidity, we must expect nothing. In fact, we may
count on a sinner for the grace of conversion, but if
after conversion he becomes tepid, we must despair of
his return." 4
In a word, tepidity is a desperate and almost incurable
evil. For in order to be able to avoid danger it is
necessary to know it. Now the tepid, when they have
fallen into that miserable 'state of darkness, do not even
1 " Licet frigidus sit pejor tepido, tamen pejor est status tepidi, quia
tepidus est in majori periculo ruendi sine spe resurgendi." — In Apoc.
iii. 1 6.
'2 " Facilius enim est quemlibet paganum ad fidem Christi adducere,
quam talem aliquem a suo torpore ad spiritus fervorem revocare."
3 " Frequenter vidimus de frigidis ad spiritalem pervenire fervorem,
de tepidis omnino non vidimus." — Coll. 4, c. 19.
4 " Sicut ante teporem frigus sub spe est, ita tepor in desperatione-
qui enim adhuc in peccatis est, conversionis fiduciam non amittit; qui
vero post conversionem tepuit, et spem, quae esse potuit de peccatore,
subtraxit," — Past, p. 3, c. I, a dm. 35.
94 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
know their danger. Tepidity is like a hectic fever that
is scarcely perceived. The tepid man does not see even
habitual defects. " Grievous faults," says St. Gregory,
" because they are more easily observed, are more readily
corrected; but he who disregards light defects 'con
tinues to commit them, and thus by the habit of de
spising minor transgressions he shall soon despise
grievous sins." ' Besides, mortal sin always excites a
certain horror even in habitual sinners, but to the tepid,
his imperfections, inordinate attachments, dissipations,
love of pleasure or of self-esteem, cause no horror.
These little faults are the more dangerous because they
imperceptibly dispose him to ruin. " Great sins," says
Father Alvarez de Paz, " are less dangerous for the just
than these little faults, because the hideous aspect of
the former frightens them, while the others insensibly
conduct to ruin." '
Hence St. John Chrysostom has written that cele
brated sentence, that we ought in a certain manner to
be more careful to avoid light faults than grievous
sins: "We must use more care to avoid little sins than
to avoid great sins; for the latter are already opposed
by our nature, and because the former, being small,
make us more indolent in our struggles. Since we dis
regard them, the soul cannot raise itself so generously as
to repel them: hence great sins flow from small sins."3
1 " Major enim quo citius quia sit culpa agnoscitur, eo etiam citius
emendatur; minor vero, dum quasi nulla creditur, eo pejus quo et
securius in usu retinetur. Unde fit plerumque ut mens, assueta malis
levibus, nee graviora perhorrescat, et in majoribus contemnat." — Past.
p. 3, c. I, adm. 34.
8 " Magna peccata eo justis minus periculosa sunt, quod aspectum
satis tetrum exhorrent; at minima periculosiora videntur, quia latenter
ad ruinam disponunt." — De Pcrf. 1. 5, p. 2, c. 16.
3 " Non tanto studio magna peccata esse vitanda, quam parva: ilia
enim natura adversatur; haec autem, quia parva sunt, desides reddunt.
Dum contemnuntur, non potest ad eorum expulsionem animus gene-
rose insurgere; unde cito ex parvis maxima fiunt." — In Matth. horn. 87,
CH. v,] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 95
The reason, then, assigned by the saint is, that mortal
sins excite a natural horror, but light faults are disre
garded, and therefore they soon become grievous. And
the greatest evil is, that small defects that are disre
garded render the soul more careless about her spirit
ual interests, and therefore, because she has been accus
tomed to despise slight offences, they lead her to think
little of grievous transgressions. In the Canticles the
Lord says. Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines, for
our vineyard hath flourished? Mark the word foxes: he
does not tell us to catch the lions and tigers, but the
foxes. These foxes destroy the vine; they make a
multitude of dens, and thus dry up the roots, that is,
devotion and good desires, which are the roots of spiri
tual life. He also says little. Why does he tells us to
catch the little and not the large foxes ? Because the
little foxes excite less terror, but often do.more mischief
than the large ones. For, as Father Alvarez says, small
faults when disregarded impede the infusion of divine
graces, and thus the soul remains barren, and is finally
lost.2 The Holy Ghost adds: for our vineyard hath
flourished. How great the evil of venial faults when
multiplied and not abhorred ? They eat the flowers,
that is, they destroy the good desires of advancing in
perfection, and when these desires fail, the soul shall
always go backward until she finds herself fallen into a
precipice from which it will be difficult to rescue her.
/ will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth? Let us con
clude the exposition of this text of the Apocalypse. A
"Capita nobis vulpes parvulas quse demoliuntur vineas; nam vinea
nostra floruit." — Cant. ii. 15.
" Culpae leves et imperfectiones vulpes parvulse sunt, in quibus
nihil nimisnoxium aspicimus; sed hae vineam, id est, animam demoli
untur, quia earn sterilem faciunt, dum pluviam auxilii coelestis impedi-
unt." — De Pcrf. 1. 5, p. 2, c. 16.
"Sed, quia tepidus es, incipiam te evomere ex ore
iii. 16.
g6 Material for Sermons. IPART i.
draught that is cold or hot is taken with facility, but
when tepid it is taken with great difficulty, because it
provokes vomiting. This precisely is what the Lord
has threatened against the tepid soul. / will begin to
vomit thee out of My mouth. In expounding this passage
Menochius says, " God begins to vomit forth the tepid
man, because the latter as long as he perseveres in his
tepidity creates in Him nausea, until finally at his death
the Lord vomits him entirely, and he is forever separated
from Christ.'' ] The tepid are in danger of being vom
ited forth by God, that is, of being abandoned without
hope of remedy. This is what the Lord means by vom
iting the soul out of his mouth; for all have a great
horror of taking back what they vomit. " For just as,"
says Cornelius a Lapide, " one refuses to take back what
one has rejected, so God has a horror of the tepid whom
he has vomited forth."' How does God begin to vomit
forth the tepid priest ? He ceases to give him any
longer these loving calls (this precisely means to be
vomited forth from the mouth of God), these spiritual
consolations, these good desires. In fine, he shall be de
prived of spiritual unction. The unhappy man will go
to meditation, but shall make it with great tediousness,
dissipation, and unwillingness. Hence he shall by
degrees begin to omit it, and thus shall cease to recom
mend himself to God by petitions for his graces, and
by neglecting to ask the divine graces he shall always
become more poor, and shall go from bad to worse. He
shall say Mass and the Office, but they shall be a source
of demerit rather than of merit. He shall perform all
his functions with difficulty and by force, or without
1 " Porro tepidus incipit evomi, cum, permanens in tepore suo, Deo
nauseam movere incipit, donee tandem omnino in morte sua evomatur,
et a Christo in seternum separetur."
2 "Vomitus significat Deum exsecrari tepidos, sicut exsecramur icl
quod os evomuit." — /;/ Apoc. iii. 16.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 97
devotion. You shall, says the Lord, be anointed all over
with oil, but you shall remain without unction.1 The
Mass, the divine Office, preaching, hearing confessions,
assisting the dying, attending at funerals, are exercises
that should excite new fervor; but after all these func
tions you shall remain dry, without peace, dissipated,
agitated by a thousand temptations. I will begin to vomit
t/iee out of My mouth. Behold how God begins to vomit
you out of his mouth.
II.
A Priest cannot be Satisfied with Avoiding Grievous Sins.
Some priests may say it is enough for me to avoid
mortal sins and to save my soul. No, answers St.
Augustine, you that are a priest, and therefore obliged
to walk in the narrow way of perfection, shall not even
save your soul by treading the broad way of tepidity-
" When you say it is enough, you are lost."1 St. Greg
ory says that they that are to be saved as saints, and
wish to be saved as imperfect souls, shall not be saved.
And this our Lord one day gave Blessed Angela of
Foligno to understand: "They that are enlightened by
me to walk in the way of perfection, and through tepid
ity wish to tread in the ordinary path, shall be aban
doned by me.": It is certain, as we have seen in the
above,4 that a priest is bound to be holy, as well on
account of his dignity as the familiar and minister of
God, as on account of his office of offering to God the
sacrifice of the Mass, of mediator for the people before
the divine Majesty, and of sanctifier of souls by means of
the sacraments. The reason is that he may walk in the
way of perfection, that God loads him with so many
1 " Calcabis olivam, et non ungeris oleo." — Mich, vi. 15.
2 "Si dixeris: Sufficit; — et periisti." — Serm. 169, E. B*
3 Vision, c. 51.
4 Chap. III.
7
98 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
graces and special helps. Hence, when he exercises
his ministry with negligence, amid defects and faults,
without even detesting them, God pronounces a male
diction against him. Cursed be he that doth the work of the
Lord deceitfully.1 This malediction consists in abandon
ment by God. "God," writes St. Augustine, "is ac
customed to abandon the negligent."2 The Lord, says
the saint, usually abandons souls favored by his special
graces, when after all his gifts they neglect to live
according to the perfection to which they are called.
God, observes a certain author, wishes to be served by
his priests with the fervor with which the seraphim serve
him in heaven; otherwise he will withdraw his graces
and permit them to sleep in tepidity, and thence to fall,
first into the precipice of sin and afterwards into hell.3
The tepid priest, weighed down by so many venial sins
and by so many inordinate attachments, remains, as it
were, in a state of insensibility. Hence the graces re
ceived and the obligations of the priesthood make but
little impression upon him, and therefore the Lord shall
justly withhold the abundant helps that are morally
necessary for the fulfilment of the obligations of his
state; thus he shall go from bad to worse, and with his
defects his blindness shall increase. Perhaps God is
bound to make his graces abound in those that are par
simonious and ungenerous to him ? No, says the Apos
tle, he who sows little shall reap but little.4
The Lord has declared that to the grateful that pre
serve his graces he will multiply his favors, but from the
ungrateful he shall take away the gifts that had been
bestowed upon them. For to every one that hath shall be
1 " Maled ictus, qui facit opus Domini fraudulenter." — Jer. xlviii. 10.
2 " Negligentes Deus deserere consuevit." — In Ps. cxviii. s. 10.
3 " Deus vult a seraphim's ministrari; tepido gratiam suam subtrahit,
sinitque eum dormire, itaque ruere in barathrum."
4 " Qui parce seminal, parce et metet." — 2. Cor. ix. 6.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 99
given, and he shall abound j but from him that hath not, that
also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away.1 Besides,
St. Matthew says that when the master receives no fruit
from the vineyard, he takes it away from the husband
men to whom he had given it, and after punishing them
consigns it to others. He will bring those evil men to an
evil end, and will let out His vineyard to other husbandmen, that
shall render Him fruit in due season? He afterwards adds :
Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken
from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits
thereof? That is, God shall take out of life the priest to
whom he gave the care of his kingdom, or of procuring
his glory, and shall intrust his interests to others who
will be grateful for his favors and faithful to his graces.
Hence it happens that from so many sacrifices, so
many Communions, and so many prayers offered in the
Office and in the Mass, many priests draw little or no
fruit. You have sowed much, says the Prophet Aggeus,
and brought in little, . . . and he that earned wages put them
into a bag with holes? Such the tepid priest ! He lays up
all his spiritual exercises in a bag with holes ; thus no
merit remains, but on the contrary, in consequence of
committing many defects in the performance of these
exercises, he always renders himself more deserving of
chastisement. The tepid priest is not far from perdition.
The heart of a priest should, as Peter de Blois says, be the
altar on which the fire of divine love always burns. But
what proof of burning love for God does the priest give
who is content with avoiding mortal sin, but takes no
"Omni enim habenti dabitur, et abundabit; ei autem qui non habet,
et quod videtur habere, auferetur ab eo." — Matth. xxv. 29.
2 " Malos male perdet, et vineam suam locabit aliis agricolis, qui
reddant ei fructum temporibus suis." — Matth. xxi. 41.
"Ideo dico vobis quia auferetur a vobis regnum Dei, et dabitur
genti facienti fructus ejus." — Ibid. 43.
" Seminastis multum, et intulistis parum; . . . et qui mercedes
congregavit, misit eas in sacculum pertusum." — Agg. i. 6.
IOO Material for Sermons. IPART i.
trouble to abstain from displeasing God by light faults.
"It is a sign of a very tepid love," says Father Alvarez,
"to restrict the proofs of love only to the omission of
very grave faults against God, and to be troubled very
little about offending him with little faults." 1
To become a good priest, a man requires not the
common graces, nor a small number of graces, but
special and abundant helps. But how can God be
generous and abundant in his graces to him who is
appointed to serve him, and who serves him so badly?
St. Ignatius of Loyola sent one day for a lay brother
who led a very tepid life, and said to him: " Tell me, my
brother, for what purpose have you entered religion ?"
The lay brother answered, " To serve God." " And is it
thus," replied the saint, "you serve him ? Had you told
me that you came to serve a cardinal or an earthly
prince, you should be more deserving of compassion;
but you tell me that you have come to serve God, and
do you serve him so badly ?" Every priest enters into
the court, not among the servants, but among the famil
iars of God, who have continually to treat confidentially
with him on matters of the utmost importance to his
glory. Hence a tepid priest dishonors God more than
he honors him; for by his negligent and imperfect life
he shows that he regards God unworthy of being served
and loved with greater fervor. He declares that in
pleasing God he does not find that felicity which is
sufficient to make the soul perfectly content; he declares
that his divine Majesty is unworthy of the love that
obliges us to prefer his glory to all self-gratification.
"Signum est amoris satis tepidi, velle amatum in solis rebus gravi-
bus non offendere, et in aliis, quae non tanta severitate praecipit, ejus
voluntatem procaciter violate." — De Exterm. mali, 1. i, c. 12.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 101
ill.
Exhortation.
Be attentive, dearly beloved priests; let us tremble
lest all tti£ grandeurs and honors by which God has
raised us to such an elevation among men should only
terminate in our eternal damnation. St. Bernard says
that the solicitude of the devils for our destruction
should make us solicitous in laboring for salvation.1
Oh ! how active are our enemies in seeking the perdi
tion of a priest. They desire the fall of one priest more
ardently than that of a hundred seculars; as well be
cause the victory over a priest is a far greater triumph
than a victory over a layman, as because a priest that
falls brings many others with him to perdition. But as
flies avoid boiling water and run to that which is tepid,
so the devils do not tempt the fervent as violently as
they tempt the tepid priest, whom they often succeed in
bringing from tepidity into the state of mortal sin.
Cornelius a Lapide says that the tepid when assailed by
any strong temptation are in great danger of yielding
to temptations, because they have but little strength to
resist; hence it is that in so many occasions of danger
they often fall into mortal sin.2
It is necessary then to labor to avoid faults that are
wilfully and deliberately committed. It cannot be de
nied that, except Jesus Christ and the divine Mother,
who by a singular privilege have been free from all
stain of sin, all other men, even the saints, have not
been exempt at least from venial sins. The heavens are
" Hostium malitia, qua tarn solliciti sunt in nostram perditionem,
nos quoque sollicitos facial, ut in timore et tremore ipsorum nostram
salutem operemur." — De S. Andrea, s. 2.
" In magno versatur periculo, saepeque, inter tot occasiones quibus
plena est haec vita, in mortale prolabitur." — In Apoc. iii. 15.
IO2 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
not pure in his sight^ says Job. St. James says, In many
things we all offend? Thus every child of Adam must, as
St. Leo has written, be defiled with the mire of this
earth.3 But it is necessary to attend to what the Wise
Man says on this subject: For a just man shall fall seven
times, and shall rise again* He that falls through human
frailty, without a full knowledge of the malice of the
act, and without a deliberate consent, rises easily: shall
fall and rise again. But how can he rise who knows his
defects, commits them deliberately, and instead of de
testing them, takes complacency in them ?
If we commit faults, says St. Augustine, let us at
least confess and detest them, and God will pardon
them . 5 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to for
give us otir sins* To obtain the remission of venial faults,
Louis de Blois says that it is enough to confess them in
general.7 And in another place he writes8 that such
sins are more easily cancelled by turning to God with
humility and love than by stopping to dwell upon them
with too much fear. St. Francis de Sales also has
written that as the daily faults of spiritual souls are in-
deliberately committed, so they are indeliberately taken
away. He meant to say what St. Thomas teaches, that
for the remission of venial sins " it is sufficient to detest
them either explicitly or even implicitly, for example,
1 " Coeli non sunt mundi in conspectu ejus." — Job, xv. 15.
* "In multis enim offendimus omnes." — James, iii. 2.
3 ' ' Necesse est de mundano pulvere etiam religiosa corda sordcscere."
— DC Quadr. s. 4.
4 "Septies enim cadet Justus, et resurget." — Frov. xxiv. 16.
5 " Et si non sumus sine peccatis, oderimus tamen ea." — Sertn. 181,
E. B.
6 "Si confiteamur peccata nostra, fidelis est et . Justus, ut remittat
nobis peccata nostra, et emundet nos ab omni iniquitate." — i John, i. 9.
1 " Sane tales culpas generaliter exposuisse satis est." — C&nsol.
pusill. c. i , § 4.
8 Brev. Reg. tyr. sf>. § 4.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 103
by a fervent act of the love of God." ' The holy Doctor
then says: "The remission of venial sins is brought
about in three ways: i. By infusion of divine grace; in
this way by means of the Holy Eucharist and the other
sacraments such sins are remitted; 2. By acts that in
clude a movement of detestation, and thus by a general
confession of sins, by striking the breast, by reciting an
Our Father , we obtain the remission of such sins; 3. By
every act of religion towards God and the things of
God, such as the receiving of the blessing from a bishop,
to take holy water, to pray in a consecrated church."2
Speaking of the holy Communion, St. Bernardine of
Sienna says: "It may happen that after Communion
the soul finds itself so absorbed in God that all venial
sins disappear before the fervor of its devotion." :
The Venerable Louis da Ponte used to say: "I have
committed many faults, but I have never made peace
with my faults. Many make peace with their defects,
and this shall cause their ruin." St. Bernard says that
as long as a person detests his imperfections, there is
reason to hope that he shall return to the straight path;
1 " Sufficit actus quo aliquis detestatur peccatum veniale vel explicite
vel implicite, sicut cum aliquis ferventer movetur ad Deum." — P. 3, q.
87, a. 3.
2 " Triplici ratione, aliqua causant remissionem venialium: i°, per
infusionem gratiae; et hoc modo, per Eucharistiam et omnia Sacramenta,
venialia remittuntur; 2°, in quantum sunt cum aliquo motu detestationis;
et hoc modo, confessio generalis, tunsio pectoris, et Oratio' Dominica,
operantur ad remissionem; 3°, in quantum sunt cum aliquo motu reve-
rentiae in Deum et ad res divinas; et hoc modo, benedictio episcopalis,
aspersio aquae benedictse, oratio in ecclesia dedicata, et si aliqua sunt
hujusmodi, operantur ad remissionem venialium/' — S. TJiomas, loco
citato.
" Contingere potest quod tanta devotione mens, per sumptionem
Sacramenti, in Domino absorbeatur, quod ab omnibus venialibus ex-
purgetur." — DC Chr. Dom. s. 12, a. 2, c. i.
IO4 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
but when he commits faults knowingly and deliberately,
and when the commission of them excites neither fear
nor remorse, they shall by degrees bring him to ruin.
Dying flies, says the Holy Ghost, spoil the sweetness of the
ointment.1 Dying flies are the faults that are committed
but not detested; for they remain dead in the soul.
"When a fly," says Denis the Carthusian, "falls into a
sweet-smelling ointment and remains therein, it will
injure the ointment and its good odor. If we apply this
to the spiritual life, the dead flies represent our idle
thoughts, illicit affections, voluntary distractions — things
that spoil the sweetness of the ointment, that is, the
sweetness attached to the exercises of piety."''
St. Bernard 3 writes, that to say this is a light sin is
not a great evil, but to commit it, and take complacency
in it, is an evil of great moment, and shall, according to
the words of St. Luke, be severely chastised by God.
And that servant that knew the will of his Lord, and did not
according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he
that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten
with few stripes." It is true that even spiritual persons
are not free from light transgressions; "but," says
Father Alvarez, " they daily diminish the number and
grievousness of their faults, and afterwards efface them
by acts of divine love." Whoever acts in this manner
shall acquire sanctity: neither shall his defects hinder
1 " Muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti." — Ecdes. x. I.
2 " Dum musca cadit in unguentum, manendo in illo, destruit ejus
valorem atque odorem. Spiritualiter, muscre morientes sunt cogita-
tiones vanae, affectiones illicitae, distractiones morosae, quoe ' perdunt
suavitatem unguenti,' id est, dulcedinem spiritualium exercitiorum."
3 In Convcrs. S. Pattli, s. I.
4 " Qui cognovit voluntatem domini sui, et non praeparavit, et non
fecit secundum voluntatem ejus, vapulabit multis; qui autem non cog
novit, et fecit digna plagis, vapulabit paucis." — Ltike, xii. 47.
CH. v.] Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 105
him from tending to perfection. Hence Louis de Blois
tells us not to be disheartened by these little faults, be
cause we have several means of expiating them: "If
every day we fall several times, it will depend entirely
on us to employ every day the means of atoning for our
faults." ' But how can he that entertains an attachment
for any earthly good, and voluntarily falls and relapses
into that attachment without any wish to get rid of it,
advance in the way of God ? The bird that escapes
from the net instantly takes flight; but as long as it is
held even by a slender thread, it remains on the earth.
" Every little thread of attachment to this world," says
St. John of the Cross, "impedes the spiritual progress
of the soul."
Let us, then, guard against falling into this miserable
state of tepidity; for, according to what has been already
said, to raise a priest from such a state a most powerful
grace is necessary. But what reason have we to think
that God will give such a grace to priests that provoke
him to vomit them out of his mouth ? Some person
that has fallen into this miserable state may ask, Is
there, then, no hope for me? There is ground of hope
in the mercy and power of God. The things that are im
possible with men, are possible with God? It is impossible
for the tepid priest to rise, but to raise him up is not
impossible to God. However, a desire, at least, is neces
sary on our part. How can he that does not even desire
to rise hope for the divine aid ? Let him that has not
even this desire ask it of God. If we pray, and perse
vere in prayer, the Lord shall grant both the desire and
the grace to rise. Ask, and you shall receive? God has
1 " Quemadmodum singulis diebus in multis offendimus, ita quotidia-
nas expiationes habemus." — Farad, an. p. i, c. 3.
'* " Quae impossibilia sunt apud homines, possibilia sunt apud Deum."
— Luke, xviii. 27.
3 " Petite, et accipietis."
1 06 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
promised, and his promise cannot fail. Let us then
pray, and say with St Augustine, " Let my merit be
Thy mercy." ' Lord, I have no claim or merit to be
heard by you, but, O eternal Father, your mercy and
the merits of Jesus Christ, are my merits. To have
recourse to the most holy Virgin is also a great means
of rising from a state of tepidity.
1 " Meritum meum, misericordia tua."
CHAP, vij The Sin of Incontinence. 107
CHAPTER VI.
THE SIN OF INCONTINENCE.
Necessity of Purity in the Priest.
INCONTINENCE is called by St. Basil of Seleucia1 a liv
ing plague, and by St. Bernardine of Sienna, the most
noxious of all sins; " a terrible gnawing worm."2 Be
cause, as St. Bonaventure says, impurity destroys the
germs of all virtues.3 Hence St. Ambrose calls it the
hot-house and mother of all vices.4 For it brings with
it hatred, thefts, sacrileges, and other similar vices.
Hence St. Remigius has justly said: "With the excep
tion of those that die in childhood, most men will be
damned on account of this vice."E And Father Paul
Segneri says that as pride has filled hell with angels, so
impurity has filled it with men. In other vices the devil
fishes with the hook, in this he fishes with the net; so
that by incontinence he gains more for hell than by all
other sins. On the other hand, God has inflicted the
severest chastisement on the world, sending deluges of
water and fire from heaven, in punishment of the sin of
incontinence.
Chastity is a most beautiful gem; but, as St. Athana-,
1 Or at. 5.
2 " Vermis quo nullus nocentior." — T. II. s. 52, a. 3, c. 2.
3 " Luxuria omnium virtutum eradicat germina,"
4 "Luxuria seminarium et origo vitiorum est." — St. Thorn, de Vill.
De S. Ildeph. cone. 2.
5 " Demptis parvulis, ex adultis pauci, propter hoc vitium, salvantur."
— // Crist, istr. p. I, rag. 24.
1 08 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
sius says, it is a gem found by few on this earth.1 But
if this gem is suitable for seculars, it is absolutely neces
sary for ecclesiastics. Among the virtues that St. Paul
prescribes to Timothy, he recommended chastity in a
special manner: Keep thyself chaste? Origen says that
chastity is the first virtue with which a priest that goes
to the altar should be adorned.3 Clement of Alexandria
has written that only they that lead a chaste life are
and can be called priests.4 Hence, then, as purity con
stitutes priests, so, on the other hand, incontinence robs
them, as it were, of their dignity, says St. Isidore.0
Hence the holy Church has always endeavored by so
many Councils, laws, and admonitions to guard with
jealousy the chastity of her priests. Innocent III. made
the following ordinance: " No one is to be allowed to be
ordained priest unless he is a virgin or his chastity has
been proved.'" He also commanded that the incon
tinent priest should be excluded " from all ecclesias
tical dignities." 7 St. Gregory ordained: " He that has
fallen into a carnal sin after ordination should be de
prived so far of his office, that he be not permitted to
perform any function at the altar."' Besides, he or
dained,9 that if a priest committed a sin against purity,
he should do penance for ten years. For the first three
1 "Gemma pretiosissima, a paucis inventa." — De Virginit.
2 " Teipsum castum custodi." — i Tim. v. 22.
3 "Ante omnia Sacerdos, qui divinis assistit altaribus, castitate debit
accingi." — In Levit. horn. 4.
4 "Soli qui puram agunt vitam, sunt Dei Sacerdotes." — Strom. 1. 4.
" Si pudicitia Sacerdotes creat, libido Sacerdotibus dignitatem abro-
gat."—£f>ist. 1. 3, ep. 75-
" Nemo ad sacrum Ordinem permittatur accedere, nisi aut virgo aut
probatae castitatis existat." — Cap. A Mtdtis. DC cct. et qua I. ord.
7 " Ab omnium graduum dignitate."
"Qui, post acceptum sacrum Ordinem, lapsus in peccatum carnis
fuerit, sacro Ordine ita careat, ut ad altaris ministerium ulterius non
accedat." — Cap. Pervenit. dist. 50.
9 Cap. presbyter, dht. 82.
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. 109
months he should sleep on the ground, remain in soli
tude, have no intercourse with any person, and should
be deprived of Communion. He should then fast every
day for a year and a half on bread and water, and for
the remainder of the ten years he should continue to
fast on bread and water only on three days in the week.
In a word, the Church regards as a monster the priest
that does not lead a life of chastity.
II.
Malice of Impurity in the Priest.
Let us, in the first place, examine the malice of the sin
of a priest who violates chastity. A priest is the temple
of God, as well by the vow of chastity as by the sacred
unction by which he was consecrated to God. He that
hath anointed us in God, who also hath sealed us.1 Such is
the language of St. Paul, speaking of himself and of his
associates in the ministry. Hence Cardinal Hugo has
said: "The priest should not pollute the sanctuary of
the Lord, because the oil of the holy unction is poured
out upon him."2 The body, then, of the priest is the
sanctuary of the Lord. " Keep thyself chaste," says St.
Ignatius, Martyr, " as a gift of God and the temple of the
Holy Ghost. ": St. Peter Damian says that the priest
that denies his body by impurity violates the temple of
God. He then adds: " Do not change the vessels conse
crated to God into vessels of contumely." • What would
you say of the man that should use a consecrated
chalice at table? Speaking of priests, Innocent II. has
1 " Unxit nos Deus, qui et signavit nos." — 2 Cor. i. 21.
2 " Sacerdos ne polluat sanctuarium Domini; quia oleum sanctae unc-
tionis super eum est."
3 " Teipsum castum custodi, ut domum Dei, templum Christi." — Ep.
ad Heron. Diac.
4 " Nonne templum Deiviolant? Nolite vasa Deo sacrata in vasa
contumeliae vertere." — Opusc. 18, d. 2, c. 47.
iio Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
said: " Since they should be the temples of the sanctu
aries of the Holy Ghost, they are disgraced if they be
come addicted to impurity." ' How horrible to see a
priest that should send forth in every direction the light
and odor of purity, become sordid, fetid, and polluted
with sins of the flesh ? The sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire? Hence Clement of Alexandria
has written that an unchaste priest, as far as in him lies,
contaminates God himself, who dwells within him.3 Of
this God himself complains by the mouth of his prophet:
Her priests have despised My law, and have despised My sanc
tuaries, . . . and I was profaned in the midst of them * Alas!
says the Lord, by the incontinence of my priest, I, too,
am defiled: by violating chastity he pollutes my sanc
tuary, that is, his body which I have consecrated, and in
which I often come to dwell. It was this St. Jerome
meant when he said: "We defile the body of Christ
whenever we approach the altar unworthily.-" 5
Besides, the priest on the altar offers to God in sacri
fice the immaculate Lamb; that is, the very Son of God.
On this account, says St. Jerome, the priest should be
so chaste as not only to abstain from every impure
action, but also to avoid every indecent glance.6 St.
John^ Chrysostom likewise has written that a priest
should have purity which would make him fit to stand
1 "Cum ipsi templum et sacrarium Spiritus Sanctl debeant esse, in-
dignum est eos immunditiis deservire." — Cap. Decernimus. dist. 28.
2 " Sus lota in volutabro luti !" — 2 Pet. ii. 22.
" Deum in ipsis habitantem corrumpunt, quantum in se est, et viti-
orum suorum conjunctione poluunt."— -Ptrdctg. 1. 2, c. 10.
4 " Sacerdotes ejus contempserunt legem meam, et polluerunt sanc-
tuaria mea; . . . et coinquinabor in medio eorum." — Ezech. xxii. 26.
5 " Polluimus corpus Christi, quando indigni accedimus ad altare."
— In Mai. i. 7.
6 " Pudicitia sacerdotalis, non solum ab opere immundo, sed etiam
a jactu oculi sit libera." — In Tit. i. 8, 9.
CHAP. vi. i The Sin of Incontinence. \ 1 1
in the midst of the angels in heaven.1 And in another
place he has said that by their purity the hands of a
priest, which must touch the flesh of Jesus Christ,
should be more resplendent than the rays of the sun.2
On the other hand, St. Augustine asks where can a
man be found so wicked as to presume to touch the
most holy sacrament of the altar with unclean hands?3
" But," says St. Bernard, " the priest that dares to ascend
the altar, to handle the body of Jesus Christ, after being
contaminated with sins of impurity, is guilty of a far
more enormous crime."4 "Ah! priest of God," exclaims
St. Augustine, " the hands that you moisten with the
blood of the Redeemer do not moisten with the sacri
legious blood of sin."5 Ah! do not allow the hands
which are bathed in the blood of the Redeemer, shed
one day for the love of you, to be polluted with the
sacrilegious blood of sin.
Moreover, -Cassian says that priests must not only
touch, but must also eat, the sacred flesh of the Lamb;
and therefore they should practise angelic purity.6 But
" Necesse est Sacerdotem sic esse purum, ut, in ipsis coelis collo-
catus, inter coelestes illas virtutes medius staret." — De Sacerd. 1. 3.
2 "Quo solares radios non deberet excedere manus ilia, quae hanc
carnem tractat?" — In Matt. horn. 83.
3 " Quis adeo impius erit, qui lutosis manibus Sacratissimum Sacra-
men tunVtractare prsesumat?"*
4 "Audent Agni immaculati sacras contingere carnes, et intingere
in sanguinem Salvatoris manus, quibus paulo ante carnes attrecta-
verunt." — Declain. n. 13.
5 " Ne manus quae intinguntur sanguine Christi, polluantur sanguine
peccati." — Molina, Intr. Sac. tr. I, c. 5, § 2.
" Qua puritate oportebit custodire castitatem, quos necesse est
quotidie sacrosanctis Agni carnibus vesci !" — De Can. Inst. 1. 6, c. 8.
* Instead of these words we read at the place indicated: "Si eru-
bescimus et timemus Eucharistiam manibus sordidis tangere, plus
debemus timere ipsam Eucharistiam in anima polluta suscipere." —
Serm. 292, E. B. App. — ED.
1 1 2 Material for Sermons. [PART i
according to Peter Comestor, the priest who, while he is
defiled with sins against chastity, pronounces the words
of consecration, spits, as it were, in the face of Jesus
Christ; and in receiving the sacred body and blood into
his polluted mouth, he, as it were, casts them into the
foulest mire.1 St. Vincent Ferrer says that such a priest
is guilty of a greater impiety than if he threw the con
secrated host into a sink.2 Here St. Peter Damian ex
claims, and says, " O priests ! whose duty it is to offer to
God the immaculate Lamb, do not first immolate your
self to the devil by your impurities." ; Hence the saint
afterwards calls the unchaste priest a victim of the
devils, on which these cruel spirits make a most delici
ous feast in hell.4 Besides, the unchaste priest not only
brings himself to perdition, but he also causes the dam
nation of many others. St. Bernard said that inconti
nence in ecclesiastics was one of the greatest persecutions
that the Church could suffer. On the wrords of Ezechias,
Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter? says the holy
Doctor, the Church has suffered much from the sword
of the tyrant and from the infection of heresy, but she
suffers still more from the incontinence of the unchaste
ecclesiastic, who by his scandals drags the bowels out of
his own mother.6 " How shameful," says St. Peter Da-
1 " Qui sacra illius verba Sacramenti ore immundo profert, in faciem
Salvatoris spuit; et cum in os immundum sanctisimam Carnem ponit,
earn quasi in lutum projicit." — Scrni. 38.
'2 " Majus peccatum est, quam si projiciat Corpus Christi in cloacam."
3 "Cur, o Sacerdos, qui sacrificium Deo debes offerre, temet ipsum
prius maligno spiritui non vereris victimam immolare." — Opus. 1 7, c. 3.
4 " Vos estis daemonum victimae, ad seternse mortis succidium des-
tinatae; ex vobis diabolus, tamquam delicatis dapibus, pascitur et sagi-
natur."
5 "Ecce in pace amaritudo mea amarissima." — Is. xxxviii. 17.
6 " Amara prius in nece Martyrum, amarior in conflictu hsereticorum,
amarissima in moribus domesticorum. Pax est, et non est pax: pax
a paganis, pax ab haereticis, sed non profecto a filiis." — In Cant. s. 33.
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. 113
mian, " to see a man who preaches chastity made the
slave of lust !" '
III.
Sad Effects of Impurity.
Let us. now examine the evils that the vice of incon
tinence produces in the soul, particularly in that of a
priest.
i. BLINDNESS OF THE SOUL.
First, this sin blinds the soul, and makes her lose sight
of God and of the eternal truths. " Chastity," says St.
Augustine, " purifies the mind, and through it men see
God."2 But the first effect of the vice of impurity is,
according to St. Thomas, blindness of the understand
ing. Its effects are thus described by the saint: "The
effects of this impure vice are: blindness of the mind,
hatred of God, attachment to the present life, horror of
the future life."3 St. Augustine has said that impurity
takes away the thought of eternity.4 When a raven
finds a dead body, its first act is to pluck out the eyes;
and the first injury that incontinence inflicts on the soul
is to take away the light of the things of God. This
was felt by Calvin, who was first a parish priest, — a
pastor of souls,* — but afterwards, by this vice, became
"Qui prsedicator constitutus es castitatis, non te pudet servum
esse libidinis!" — S. ad Past, in syn.
"Castitas, mundans mentes hominum, prsestat videre Deum." —
Serin. 291, E. B. app.
" Caecitas mentis, odium Dei, affectus praesentis saeculi, horor vel
desperatio futuri." — 2. 2, q. 153, a. 5.
4 " Luxuria futura non sinit cogitare."
* John Calvin was provided, at the age of twelve, with a chaplaincy
in the church of Noyon, and afterwards with the curacy of Pont
1'Eveque, near this city, although he was never raised to the dignity
of the priesthood. (Diet. hist, de Feller.)
8
114 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
an heresiarch; by Henry VIII., first the defender and
afterwards the persecutor of the Cburch. This was
also experienced by Solomon; first a saint, and after
wards an idolater. The same happens to the unchaste
priest. They shall, says the Prophet Sophonias, walk like
blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord.1 Miser
able man! in the midst of the light of the Masses that
he celebrates, of the Offices that he recites, and of the
funerals that he attends, he remains as blind as if he
believed neither in death that awaits him, nor in a future
judgment, nor in hell that he purchases by his sins.
Mayest thou, says the Lord, grope at midday as the Mind is
wont to grope in the dark? In a word, he is so blinded by
the fetid mire in which he is immersed, that after having
forsaken God who has raised him so much above others,
he does not even think of returning to ask pardon.
They will not, says the Prophet Osee, set their thoughts to
return to their God; for the spirit of fornication is in the midst
of them? Hence St. John Chrysostom says, that neither
the admonitions of Superiors, nor the counsels of virtu
ous friends, nor the fear of chastisements, nor the danger
of shame shall be sufficient to enlighten the unchaste
priest.4
No wonder: for he is so blind that he can no longer
see. Fire hath fallen on them, and they have not seen the sun?
"This fire is no other than the fire of concupiscence,"6
1 " Ambulabunt ut caeci, quia Domino peccaverunt." — Soph. i. 17.
'2 " Percutiat te Dominus amentia, et caecitate, ac furore mentis, et
palpes in meridie, sicut palpare solet caecus in tenebris, et non dirigas
vias tuas." — Deut. xxviii. 28.
3 "Non dabunt cogitationes suas, ut revertantur ad Deum suum;
quia spiritus fornicationum in medio eorum, et Dominum non cogno.
verunt." — Os. v. 4.
4 " Nee admonitiones, nee consilia, ne aliquid aliud salvare potest
animam libidine periclitantem." — Horn, contra lux.
5 " Supercecidit ignis, et non viderunt solem." — Ps. Ivii. 9.
6 " 'Supercecidit ignis,' id est, concupiscentiae." — 2. 2, q. 15, a. i.
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. 115
says St. Thomas. Hence he afterwards adds, " The sins
of the flesh extinguish the light of reason, for carnal
delectations cause the soul to be drawn entirely towards
the pleasures of the senses." ' This vice, by its beastly
delectation, deprives man even of reason; so that, as
Eusebius says, it makes him become worse than the
senseless beast.2 Hence the unchaste priest, blinded by
his impurities, shall no longer make any account of the
injuries that he does to God by his sacrileges, nor of the
scandal that he gives to others. He will even go so far
as to dare to say Mass in a state of sin. No wonder;
for he that has lost the light, easily abandons himself to
the commission of every crime.
Come ye to Him and be enlightened? He that wants light
must draw near to God; but because, according to the
words of St. Thomas, " a thoroughly impure man is
mostly removed from God,"4 impurity removes man to
a great distance from God, the unchaste becomes, as it
were, senseless brutes that no longer apprehend spiritual
things. But the sensual man, says St. Pa.u\, perceiveth not
these things that are of the Spirit of God? Hell, eternity,
and the dignity of the priesthood, no longer make any
impression upon the incontinent ecclesiastic: Heperceiveth
not!" Perhaps he will, as St. Ambrose says, begin even
to entertain doubts about faith: "Whenever one begins
" Vitia carnalia extinguunt judicium rationis. Delectatio quse est
in venereis, totam animam trahit ad sensibilem delectationem." — 2. 2,
q. 53, a. 6.
2 " Luxuria hominem pejorem bestiafacit." — Eusebius, Ep. ad Dam.
de morte Hier,
3 "Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini." — Ps. xxxiii. 6.
4 " Per peccatum luxuriae, homo videtur maxime a Deo recedere." —
In Job 31, led. i.
5 "Animalis autem homo non percipit ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei."-
I Cor. ii. 14.
6 " Non percipit."
1 1 6 Material for Sermons. [PART i
to be incontinent, one begins to deviate from the faith." '
Oh! how many miserable priests have by this vice even
lost their faith ? His bones, says Job, shall be filled with the
vices of his youth (the vices of youth are impurities), and
they shall sleep with him in the dust? As the light of the sun
cannot enter into a vessel filled with earth, so the light
of God cannot shine into a soul habituated to sins of
the flesh: her vices shall continue to sleep with her till
death.
But as that unhappy soul, for the sake of her impuri
ties, forgets God, so shall he forget her, and permit her
to remain abandoned in her darkness. Because, says the
Lord, thou hast forgotten Me, and hast cast Me off behind thy
body, bear thou also thy wickedness and thy fornications* St.
Peter Damian says, " They throw the Lord behind their
bodies that obey the voice of their passions."4 Father
Cataneo5 relates that a sinner who had contracted a
habit of impurity, when admonished by a friend to
abandon his evil ways, unless he wished to be damned,
answered: " Friend, I may indeed go to hell for this
habit." He certainly went to that place of torment, for
he was suddenly struck dead. A priest who was found
in the house of a certain lady whom he went to tempt
was compelled by her husband to take a poisonous
draught. After returning home he took to his bed, and
mentioned to a friend the misfortune that had befallen
him. The friend seeing the miserable man so near his
end exhorted him to go to confession. No, replied the
unhappy man, I cannot go to confession; this favor only
1 " Ubicceperit quis luxuriari, incipit deviate a fide recta." — Epist.?£>.
" Ossa ejus implebuntur vitiis adolescentiae ejus et cum eo in
pulvere dormient." — fob, xx. n.
3 " Quia oblita es mei, et projecisti me post corpus tuum, tu quoque
porta scelus tuum et fornicationes tuas." — Ezech. xxiii. 35.
4 " Illi Deum post corpus suum ponunt, qui suarum obtemperant
illecebris voluptatum." — Opusc. 18, diss. 2, c. 3.
5 Eserc. della buona m. p. I, d. 34.
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. \ 1 7
I ask of you, — go to such a lady, tell her that I die for the
love of her. Can greater blindness be conceived ?
2. OBSTINACY OF THE WILL.
In the second place, the sin of impurity produces ob
stinacy of the will. " Once fallen into the snare of the
devil, one cannot so easily escape it," says St. Jerome.'
And according to St. Thomas, there is no sin in which
the devil takes so much delight as in impurity; because
the flesh is strongly inclined to that vice, and he that
falls into it can be rescued from it only with difficulty.2
Hence the vice of incontinence has been called by
Clement of Alexandria "a malady without remedy;"5
and by Tertullian, "an incurable vice."' Hence St.
Cyprian calls it the mother of impenitence.5 " It is im
possible," says Peter de Blois, u for him that submits to
the domination of the flesh to conquer carnal tempta
tions." ' Father Biderman relates of a young man, who
was in the habit of relapsing into this sin, that at the
hour of death he confessed his sins with many tears and
died, leaving strong grounds to hope for his salvation.
But on the following day his confessor, while saying
Mass, felt some one pulling the chasuble; turning round
he saw a dark cloud, which sent forth scintillations of
fire, and heard a voice saying that was the soul of the
young man that had died; that though he had been ab
solved from his sins, hetwas again tempted, yielded to a
bad thought, and was damned.
1 " Hoc rete diaboli, si quis capitur, non cito solvitur." — Eusebius,
Ep, ad Dam. de morte Hier.
2 " Diabolus dicitur maxima gaudere de peccato luxuriae, quia est
rnaximse adhaerentiae, et difficile ab eo homo potest eripi." — i. 2, q. 73,
a. 5.
3 " Morbus immedicabilis." — Pccdag. 1. 2, c. 10.
4 " Vitium immutabile."
5 " Impudicitia mater est impoenitentiae." — De Disc, et Bon. pud.
" Est fere impossibile triumphare de carne, si ipsa de nobis trium-
phavit."
1 1 8 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
The prophet and the priest are defiled. . . . Therefore their
way shall be as a slippery way in the dark j for they shall be
driven on, and fall therein? Behold the ruin of the un
chaste ecclesiastic. He walks on a slippery path, in the
midst of darkness, and is impelled to the precipice by
the devils, and by evil habits. Hence it is impossible
for him to escape destruction. St. Augustine says that
they that give themselves up to this vice soon contract
the habit of it; and the habit soon creates, as it were, a
necessity of sinning.2 The vulture rather than abandon
the carcass on which it has begun to feed is content to
wait to be killed by the sportsman. This happens to
him that contracts a habit of impurity.
Oh! how much greater the obstinacy produced in the
priest that submits to the tyrannical rule of this vice,
than that which it causes in seculars! This happens
both because the priest has had greater light to know
the malice of mortal sin, and because in him impurity is
a greater sin than it is in a secular. For the unchaste
priest not only offends against chastity, but also against
religion, by violating his vow, and, generally speaking,
he also transgresses against fraternal charity. For the
incontinence of a priest is almost always accompanied
with most grievous scandal to others. In his book on
the " Last Things," Denis the Carthusian relates that a
servant of God, conducted in spirit to purgatory, saw
there many seculars that were suffering for sins against
purity, but very few priests. Having asked the reason,
he was told that scarcely any unchaste priest repents
sincerely of this sin, and that, therefore, almost all such
priests are damned.3
1 " Propheta et Sacerdos polluti sunt; . . . idcirco via eorum erit
quasi lubricum in tenebris; impellentur enim, et corruent in ea."-
Jcr. xxiii. II.
2 " Dum servitur libidini, facta est consuetude; et dum consuetudini
non resistitur, facta est necessitas." — Conf. 1. 8, c. 5.
3 " Vix aliquis talium veram habet contritionem; idcirco pene omnes
seternalher damnantur." — Quat. ATov. p. 3. a. 13
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. 1 19
3. ETERNAL DAMNATION.
Finally, this accursed vice leads all, and particularly
priests that are infected with it, to eternal damnation.
St. Peter Damian says that the altar of God receives no
other fire than that of divine love. Hence he that dares
to ascend the altar inflamed by the fire of impurity
is consumed by the fire of divine vengeance.1 And in
another place he says that all the obscenities of the
sinner shall be one day converted into pitch, which shall
eternally nourish in his bowels the fire of hell.2
Oh ! what vengeance does not the Lord inflict on the
unchaste priest ! How many priests are now in hell for
sins against purity ! " If," says St. Peter Damian, " the
man in the Gospel, who came to the marriage feast with
out the nuptial garment, was condemned to darkness,
what then should he expect who, admitted to the
mystical banquet of the divine Lamb, neglects to adorn
himself with the brilliant garb of virtues, and even pre
sents himself impregnated with the fetid odors of im
purity."1 Baronius relates that a priest who had con
tracted a habit of sins against chastity saw at death a
multitude of devils coming to carry him away. He
turned to a religious who was attending him, and be
sought him to pray for him. But soon after he exclaimed
that he was before the tribunal of God, and cried aloud:
" Cease, cease to pray for me, for I am already con-
1 " Altaria Domini, non alienum, sed ignem dumtaxat divini amoris
accipiunt; quisquis igitur carnalis concupiscentise flamma aestuat, et
sacris assistere mysteriis non formidat, ille divinse ultionis igne consu-
mitur. " — Opusc. 27, c. 3.
2 " Veniet, veniet profecto dies, imo nox, quando libido ista tua ver-
tetur in picem, qua se perpetuus ignis in tuis visceribns inextingui-
biliter nutriat." — Opusc. 17, c. 3.
3 "Quid illi sperandum, qui, coelestibus tricliniis intromissus, non
modo non est spiritalis indumend decore conspicuus, sed ultro etiam
foetet sordentis luxuriae squalore perfusus." — Optisc. 18, d. i, c. 4.
1 20 Material for Sermons. IPART i.
demned, and your prayers can be of no service to me."1
St. Peter Damian 2 relates that in the city of Parma a
priest and a woman with whom he had sinned were
suddenly struck dead. In the revelations of St. Bridget3
we read that an unchaste priest was killed by a thunder
bolt; and it was found that the lightning had reduced
to ashes only the indelicate members, and left the re
mainder of the body untouched, as if to show that it
was principally for incontinence that God had inflicted
this chastisement upon him. Another priest in our own
time died suddenly in the act of committing a sin against
chastity, and for his greater infamy was exposed in the
court of the church. The unchaste priest dishonors the
Church, and therefore the Lord justly chastises him by
making him the most dishonored of all men. Thus,
speaking of priests, God says, by the Prophet Malachy,
But you have departed out of the way, and have caused many
to stumble at the law. . . . Therefore I also made you con
temptible, and base before all people?
IV.
Remedies for Incontinence.
The spiritual masters point out many remedies for the
vice of impurity; but the principal and the most neces
sary are the flight of occasions, and prayer. As to the
first means, St. Philip Neri used to say that in this war
fare cowards, that is, they that avoid dangerous occa
sions, gain the victory. Let a man use all other possible
1 " Cessa pro me orare, pro quo nullatenus exaudieris." — Anno noo,
n. 24.
2 Epist. 1. 5, ep. 16.
3 Rev. \, 2, c. 2.
4 " Vos autem recessistis de via, et scandalizastis plurimos in lege;
. . . propter quod et ego dedi vos contemptibiles et humiles omnibus
populis." — Mai. ii. 8.
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. \ 2 1
means, unless he flies away he is lost. He that loveth
danger shall perish in it.1
As to the second means, it is necessary to know that
we have not strength to resist temptations of the flesh.
This strength must be the gift of God. But God grants
it to those only that pray and ask for it. The only
defence against this temptation, says St. Gregory of
Nyssa, is prayer.2 And before him the Wise Man
said: And as I knew that I could not otherwise be con
tinent, except God gave it, . . . / went to the Lord and be
sought Him?
[They that desire more information on the means of
overcoming sins of the flesh, and especially on the two
means above mentioned, — the avoidance of occasions,
and prayer, — should read the instruction on chastity in
the second part of this work.]
1 " Qui amat periculum, in illo peribit." — Ecclus. iii. 27.
2 " Oratio pudicitiae presidium est." — De or. Dom. or. I.
3 " Et ut scivi quoniam aliter nom possem esse continens, nisi Deus
det, . . . adii Dominum, et deprecatus sum ilium." — Wisd. viii. 21.
122 Material for Sermons. [PART i-
CHAPTER VII.
THE SACRILEGIOUS MASS.
Purity Required in the Priest to Celebrate Worthily.
"WE must needs confess," says the holy Council of
Trent, " that no other work can be performed by the
faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery
itself." ' God himself could not enable man to perform
a more sublime or sacred action than the celebration of
Mass. Oh! how much more excellent than all the
ancient sacrifices is our sacrifice of the altar, in which
we immolate not an ox, nor a lamb, but the very Son of
God? The Jews, says St. Peter of Cluni, had an ox;
the Christians have Christ: the sacrifice of the latter as
far transcends that of the former, as Christ is more ex
cellent than an ox.2 The same author adds, that to
servants a servile victim was suited, but for friends and
children was reserved Jesus Christ — a victim that has
delivered us from sin and eternal death.3 Justly, then,
has St. Laurence Justinian said, that there is no oblation
greater, more profitable to us, or more pleasing to God,
than the offering that is made in the sacrifice of the
Mass.4
1 " Necessario fatemur nullum aliud opus adeo sanctum a Christ!
fidelibus tractari posse, quam hoc tremendum mysterium." — Sess. 22,
Deer, de observ. in Miss a.
2 " Habuit bovem Judseus, habet Christum Christianus, cujus
sacrificium tanto excellentius est, quanto Christus bove major est."
a "Congrua tune fuit servilis hostia servis; servata est liberatrix
victima jam filiis et amicis." — Ep. contra Petrobr.
4 " Qua oblatione nulla major, nulla utilior, nulloque oculis Divinae
Majestatis est gratior." — Serin, dc Euchar.
CHAP, v i.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 123
According to St. John Chrysostom, during the cele
bration of Mass the altar is surrounded by angels, who
are present to pay homage to Jesus Christ, the victim
offered in sacrifice.1 And St. Gregory asks, " who doubts
that at the very hour of immolation, at that voice of the
priest, the heavens are opened and the choirs of angels
are present at that mystery of Jesus Christ?"" St.
Augustine says that the angels assist as servants to the
priest who offers the sacrifice.3
Now the Council of Trent teaches that Jesus Christ
himself was the first that offered this great sacrifice of
his body and blood, and that he now offers himself by
the hands of a priest chosen to be his minister and rep
resentative on the altar.4 St. Cyprian says that " the
priest truly holds the place of Christ," 5 and that, there
fore, at the consecration, he says This is My body: this is
the chalice of My blood? To his disciples Jesus himself
said, He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despise th
you, despise th Me?
The priests of the Old Law the Lord commanded to
be clean, merely because it was their duty to carry
the sacred vessels: Be ye clean, you tliat carry the vessels
of the Lord? "How much more clean," says Peter de
1 "Locus altari vicinus plenus est Angelorum choris, in honorem
illius qui immolatur." — De Sacerd. 1. 6.
2 "Quis fidelium habere dubium possit, in ipsa immolationis hora,
ad Sacerdotis vocem coelos aperiri, et in illo Jesu Christi mysterio
Angelorum choros adesse ?" — Dial. \. 4, c. 58.
3 " Sacerdos enim hoc ineffabile ccnficit mysterium, et Angeli con-
ficienti sibi quasi famuli assistunt." — Molina, Instr. Sac. tr. i, c. 5, § 2.
4 " Idem nunc offerens Sacerdotum ministerio, qui seipsum tune
in cruce obtulit." — Sess. 22, cap. 2.
5 "Sacerdos vice Christi vere fungitur." — Epist. 62.
6 " Hoc est corpus meum; hie est calix sanguinis mei."
7 "Qui vos audit, me audit; qui vos spernit, me spernit." — Luke,
x. 16.
8 " Mundamini, qui fertis vasa Domini." — Is. lii. n.
1 24 Material for Sermons. [PART j.
Blois, " should they be who carry Christ in their hands
and in their body?"1 How much greater purity shall
God demand from the priests of the New Law, who
must represent the person of Jesus Christ on the altar,
in offering to the eternal Father his own very Son !
Justly, then, does the Council of Trent require that
priests celebrate this sacrifice with the greatest possible
purity of conscience: "It is also sufficiently clear, that
all industry and diligence are to be applied to this end,
that it be performed with the greatest possible inward
cleanness and purity of heart."2 This, says the Abbot
Rupert, is what is signified by the Alb with which the
Church commands the priest to be covered from head to
foot in the celebration of the holy mysteries.3
It is but just that priests should honor God by inno
cence of life, since he has honored them so much above
others, by making them the ministers of this great
mystery. " Behold, O priests," says St. Francis of
Assisi, "your dignity; and as the Lord has honored you
•on account of this mystery, so be careful on your part
to love and to honor him.'" But how shall a priest
honor God? Is it by the costliness or vanity of his
dress ? No, says St. Bernard, but by sanctity of life, by
the study of the sacred sciences, and by labor in holy
works.5
1 " Quanto mundiores esse oportet, qui in manibus et in corpora
portant Christum!" — Epist. 123.-
2 " Satis apparet omnem operam et diligentiam in eo ponendam
esse, ut quanta maxima fieri potest interiori cordis munditia pera-
gatur." — Sess. 22, Deer, de obs. in Missa.
3 " Candorem significat vitse innocentis, quse a Sacerdote debet in-
cipere."
4 " Videte dignitatem vestram, Sacerdotes; et sicut super omnes,
propter hoc mysterium, honoravit vos Dominus, ita et vos diligite
eum et honorate." — Op. p. i, ep. 12.
5 " Honorificabitis autem, non cultu vestium, sed ornatis moribus,
studiis spiritualibus, operibus bonis." — De Mor. et Off. Episc. c. 2.
CHAP, vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 125
II.
How Great is the Crime of the Priest that Celebrates Mass
in Mortal Sin.
But does the priest that celebrates in mortal sin give
honor to God ? As far as regards himself, he treats the
Lord with the greatest dishonor that can be offered to
him, by despising him in his own person. For by his
sacrilege he appears, as far as in him lies, to defile the
immaculate Lamb, whom he immolates in the conse
crated host. To yon, O priests, says the Lord by the
Prophet Malachy, who despise My name, . . . you offer
polluted bread upon My altar, and you say, wherein have we
polluted Thee ?l " We," says St. Jerome, in his comment
on this passage, " pollute the bread, that is, the body
of Christ, when we unworthily approach the altar.2
God cannot raise a man to a greater elevation than by
conferring on him the sacerdotal dignity. How many
selections must the Lord have made in calling a person to
the priesthood. First, he must select him from a count
less number of possible creatures. He must then separate
him from so many millions of pagans and heretics, and,
lastly, he must make choice of him from the immense
multitude of the faithful. And what power does God
confer on this man ? If the Lord bestowed only on one
man the power of calling down by his words the Son of
God from heaven, how great should be his obligations
and his gratitude to the Lord ! This power God grants
to every priest. Lifting up the poor out of the dunghill, that
he may place him with princes, with the princes of his people?
1 " Ad vos, o Sacerdotes, qui despicitis nomen meum! . . . Offertis
super altare meum panem pollutum, et dicitis: In quo polluimus te?"
—Mai. i. 6.
2 "Polluimus panem, id est, corpus Christi, quando indigni accedi-
mus ad altare."
3 " De stercore erigens pauperem, ut collocet eum cum principibus
populi sui." — Ps. cxii. 6.
126 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
The number of persons to whom God has given this power
does not diminish the dignity or the obligations of the
priesthood. But what does the priest do that celebrates
in the state of sin ? He dishonors and despises the
Lord, by declaring that so great a sacrifice is not deserv
ing of the reverence which would make him dread the
sacrilegious oblation of it, says St. Cyril.1
The hand, says St. John Chrysostom, that touches the
sacred flesh of Jesus Christ, and the tongue that is pur
pled with his divine blood, should be purer than the
rays of the sun.2 In another place he says that a priest
ascending the altar should be possessed of purity and
sanctity which would merit for him a place in the midst
of the angels.3 How great, then, must be the horror of
the angels when they behold a priest, who is the enemy
of God, stretching forth his sacrilegious hands to touch
and eat the immaculate Lamb ! " Who," exclaims St.
Augustine, ''shall be so wicked and daring as to touch
the most holy sacrament with polluted hands!" 4 Still
more wicked is the priest that celebrates Mass with a
soul defiled by mortal sin. God turns away his eyes
that he may not behold such horrible impiety. When,
says the Lord,jy<?# stretch forth your hands, I will turn
away My eyes, . . . . for your hands are full of blood? To
express the disgust that he feels at the sight of such
1 " Qui non adhibet honorem quern debet altari sancto, factis testa-
tur illud esse contemptibile." — Molina, Instr. Sacerd. tr. 2, c. 18, § I.
2 "Quo igitur solari radio non puriorem esse oportet manum car-
nem hanc dividentem, linguam quse tremendo nimis sanguine ru-
bescit?" — Ad pop. Ant. honi. 60.
3 " Nonne accedentem ad altare Sacerdotem sic parum esse oportet,
ut, si in ipsis coelis esset collocatus, inter coelestes illas virtutes me-
dius staret." — De Sacerd. \. 3.
4 " Quis adeo impius erit, qui lutosis manibus sacratissimum
Sacramentum tractare prresumat?"
5 " Cum extenderitis manus vestras, avertam oculos meos a vobis."
-Is. i. 15.
CHAP vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 127
sacrilegious priests, the Lord declares that he will scatter
the dung of their sacrifices over their faces: I will scatter
upon your face the dung of your solemnities^ It is true, as
the Council of Trent teaches, that the holy sacrifice
cannot be contaminated by the malice of priests.2 How
ever, priests who celebrate in the state of sin defile, as
far as in them lies, the sacred mystery; and therefore the
Lord declares that he is, as it were, polluted by their
abominations. Her priests have defiled My sanctuaries,
. . . and I was profaned in the midst of them?
Alas! O Lord, exclaims St. Bernard, how does it
happen that some of those that hold a high place in your
Church are the first to persecute you!4 This is, indeed,
too true, as St. Cyprian says, that a priest who cele
brates Mass in the state of sin insults with his mouth
and hands the very body of Christ.5 Another author,
Peter Comeston, adds, that the priest who pronounces
the words of consecration in the state of sin spits, as it
were, in the face of Jesus Christ; and when he receives
the most holy sacrament into his unhallowed mouth he,
as it were, casts the body and blood of Jesus Christ into
the mire/' But why do I say that he casts Jesus Christ
into the mire ? The soul of a priest in sin is worse than
mire; and, as Theophilactus says, the mire is not so un-
1 " Dispergam super vultum vestrum stercus solemnitatum vestra-
rum." — Mai. ii. 3.
2 " Hsec quidem ilia munda oblatio est, quffi nulla malitia offeren-
tium inquinari potest." — Sess. 22, cap. i.
3 " Coinquinabar in medio eorum." — Ezech. xxii. 26.
4 " Heu, Domine, Deus, quia ipsi sunt in persecutione tua primi,
qui videntur in Ecclesia tua gerere principatum." — /;/ Conv. S. Fzi'Ji
s. i.
5 " Vis infertur corpori Domini; in Dominum manibus atque ore
delinquunt." — Serin, de. Lapsis.
6 ' Qui sacra illius verba Sacramenti ore immundo profert, in
faciem Salvatoris spuit; et cum in os immundum sanctissimum car-
nem ponit, eum quasi in lutum projicitV — Serm. 38.
128 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
worthy of receiving the divine flesh as the heart of a
sacrilegious priest.1 The sacrilegious priest, then, says
St. Vincent Ferror, is guilty of greater impiety than if
he cast the most holy sacrament into a sink.2 Such, too,
is the doctrine of St. Thomas of Villanova.3
The sins of a priest are always most grievous on
account of the injury that they do to God, who has
chosen him for his own minister, and has heaped so
many favors upon him. It is one thing, says St.
Peter Damian, to violate the laws of a sovereign, and
another to strike him with your own hands. This is
what the priest does that offers sacrifice in the state of
mortal sin. " It is one thing to transgress edicts which
the king has promulgated, and another to wound him
with our own hands. No one sins more grievously than
the priest that offers sacrifice unworthily. When we sin
in any other way we, as it were, injure God in his prop
erty, but when we unworthily offer sacrifice we dare to
lay violent hands upon his person.4 This was the sin of
the Jews who had the daring audacity to offer violence
to the person of Jesus Christ. But St. Augustine teaches
that the sin of the priest that offers sacrifice unworthily
is still more grievous: "Those that unworthily offer
Jesus Christ in heaven sin more grievously than the
Jews who crucified him when he wras upon earth.5 The
1 " Lutum non adeo indignum est corpore divino, quam indignaest
carnis tuae impuritas." — In Pleb. 10, 16.
2 " Majus peccatum est, quam si projiceret corpus Christi in clo-
acam."
3 "Quantum flagitium sit in spurcissimam pectoris tui cloacam
Christi sanguinem fundere." — De Sacram. alt. cone. 3.
4 " Aliud est promulgata edicta negligere, aliud ipsum regem
vibrato propriae manus jaculo sanciare. Deterius nemo peccat, quam
Sacerdos qui indigne sacrificat: aliter in quocumque modo peccantes,
quasi Dominum in rebus ejus offendimus; indigne vero sacrificantes,
velut in personam ejus manus injicere non timemus." — Opusc. 26, c. 2.
5 " Minus peccaverunt Judaei crucifigen'es in terra deambulantem,
quam qui contemnunt in coelo sedentem.'' — In Ps. 68, s. 2.
CHAP vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 129
Jews did not know the Redeemer as priests do. Besides,
as Tertullian says, the Jews lay hands on Jesus Christ
only once, but the sacrilegious priest dares frequently
to repeat this injurious treatment.1 It is also necessary
to remark, that, according to the doctrine of theologians,
a priest by the sacrilegious celebration of Mass is guilty
of four mortal sins: i. Because he consecrates in the
state of sin, 2 Because he communicates in the state of
sin, 3 Because he administers the sacrament in the state
of sin; and, 4 Because he administers it to an unworthy
person, that is, to himself, who is in mortal sin.*
This made St. Jerome foam, through zeal, against the
Deacon Sabinian. " Miserable wretch !" said the holy
Doctor, " how has it happened that your eyes have not
grown dim, that your tongue has not been twisted,
that your arms have not fallen to the ground when you
dared to assist at the altar in the state of sin."2 St.
John Chrysostom teaches that a priest that approaches
the altar with a soul stained with mortal sin is far
worse than a devil.3 For the devils tremble in the pres
ence of Jesus Christ We read in the life of St. Teresa
that when she was going to Communion one day she
saw with terror a devil on each side of the priest who
celebrated Mass in the state of mortal sin. The devils
trembled in the presence of the holy sacrament, and
manifested a desire to fly away. From the consecrated
Host Jesus said to the saint, " Behold the force of the
words of consecration, and see, O Teresa, my goodness
1 " Semel Judaei Christo manus intulerunt ; isti quotidie corpus ejus
lacessunt. O manus praescindendae!" — De Idol.
2 ' Miser ' non caligaverunt oculi tui, lingua torpuit, conciderunt
brachia !" — Ep. ad Sabian.
3 " Multo daemonic pejor est, qui, peccati conscius, accedit ad
altare." — In Matt. horn. 83.
* Cfr. our Moral Theology, 1. 6, n. 35, and V. Hinc dicimus^
9
1 30 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
•
which makes me willing to place myself in the hands of
my enemy for your welfare, and for the welfare of every
Christian !" j The devils then tremble before Jesus in
the holy sacrament; but the sacrilegious priest not only
does not tremble, but, as St. John Chrysostom says, he
audaciously tramples on the Son of God in his own per
son.2 In the sacrilegious priest are verified the words
of the Apostle: How much more do you think he deserveth
worse punishments who hath trodden under foot the Son of
God, and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean by
which he was sanctified '?* Then, in the presence of that
God at whose beck the pillars of heaven tremble, and the
whole earth and all things in it are moved? a worm of the
earth dares to trample on the blood of the Son of God !
But, alas ! what greater calamity can befall a priest
than to change redemption into perdition; sacrifice into
sacrilege, and life into death ? Great, indeed, was the
impiety of the Jews who drew blood from the side of
Jesus Christ; but far greater is the impiety of the priest
who receives from the chalice the same blood and in
sults it. Such is the thought of Peter de Blois; he adds,
while borrowing the words of St. Jerome: " Shame on
the perfidious Jew; shame on the perfidious Christian :
the Jew caused the blood to flow from the side of Christ;
the Christian, the priest, causes the same blood to flow
from the chalice in order to profane it." 5 Of such priests
our Lord complained one day to St. Bridget, saying,
1 Life, ch. 38.
2 " Quando qui particeps est cum ipso in mysteriis, peccatum com-
mittit, non eum concnlcat." — /;/ Hcb. hom.-2O.
3 " Quanto majus putatis deteriora mereri supplicia, qui Filium Dei
conculcaverit, et sanguinem testament! pollutum duxerit, in quo sanc-
tificatus est?" — Heb. x.2O.
4 " Columnse coeli contremiscunt." — Job, xxvi. n.
5 " Quam perditus ergo est, qui redemptionem in perditionem, qui
sacrificium in sacrilegium, qui vitam convertit in mortem ! Verbum
beati Hieronymi est: ' Perfidus Jndseus, perfidus Christianus, ille de
latere, isle de calice, sanguinem Christi Cuditl'" — Egist. 123.
CHAP, vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 131
" They crucify my body more cruelly than the Jews
did." ' A learned author says that the priest who cele
brates in the state of sin is guilty, as it were, of mur
dering before the eyes of the eternal Father his own
Son.2
Oh ! what an impious treason. Behold how Jesus
Christ complains, by the mouth of David, of the sacri
legious priest: For if My enemy had reviled Me 2 would
verily have borne with it, . . . but thou, a man of one mind,
and My familiar, who didst take sweetmeats together with
Me? Behold an exact description of a priest who offers
Mass in the state of sin. If my enemy, said the Lord,
had insulted me, I would have borne the offence with
less pain; but you whom I have made my familiar, my
minister, a prince among my people, to whom I have so
often given my flesh for food — you have sold me to the
devil for the indulgence of passion, for a beastly gratifi
cation, for a little earth. Of this sacrilegious treason
the Lord complained to St. Bridget: "Such priests," he
said, "are not my priests, but real traitors; for, like
Judas, they sell and betray me."4 St. Bernardine of
Sienna teaches that such priests are even worse than
Judas; because Judas betrayed the Saviour to the Jews,
but they deliver him up to devils by receiving him into
their sacrilegious breasts, which are ruled by devils.5
1 " Corpus meum amarius crucifigunt, quam Judaei." — Rev. 1. 4,
c. 133-
2 " Ne, si peccatis obnoxii offerunt, eorum oblatio sit quasi qui
victimat Filium in conspectu Patris." — Durant. De Rit. Eccl. 1. 2. c.
42, § 4-
3 " Quoniam, si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi, sustinuissem
utique; . . . tu vero, homo unanimis, dux meus et notus meus, qui
simul mecum dulces capiebas cibos !" — Ps. liv. 13.
4 "Tales Sacerdotes non sunt mei Sacerdotes, sed veri proditores
ipsi enim et me vendunt quasi Judas." — Rev. 1. I, c. 47.
5 " Juda traditore deteriores effecti, eo quod, sicut ille tradidit Jesum
Judseis, sic isti tradunt diabolis, eo quod ilium ponunt in loco sub
potestate d.iaboji conjstitu.to." — T. II. s. 55, a. I, c. 3.
132 Material for Sermons. IP ART i.
Peter Comestor observes that when a sacrilegious priest
begins the prayer Aufer a nobis iniquitates nostras, etc.
("Take away from us our iniquities, etc."), and kisses
the altar, Jesus appears to reproach him, and say:
Judas, do you betray me with a kiss?1 And when the
priest, says St. Gregory, extends his arm to communi
cate, I think I hear the Redeemer say what he said to
Judas/ * Behold the hand that betrays me is with me on
the altar."2 Hence, according to St. Isidore of Pelu-
sium, the sacrilegious priest is, like Judas, entirely pos
sessed by the devil.3
Ah ! the blood of Jesus Christ, so much insulted, cries
more powerfully for vengeance against the sacrilegious
priest than the blood of Abel did against Cain. This
Jesus himself declared to St. Bridget. Oh ! what horror
must God and his angels feel at the sight of a sacri
legious Mass ! This horror the Lord made known in
the following manner, in the year 1688, to his servant
Sister Mary Crucified, of Palma, in Sicily. At first she
heard a doleful trumpet, which uttered, in a tone of
thunder, audible over the entire earth, the following
words: Ultio, pcena, dolor (vengeance, punishment, pain).
She then saw several sacrilegious ecclesiastics singing
psalms with discordant voices, and in a confused and
irregular manner. She next saw one of them rise up to
go to the altar and say Mass. While he was putting on
the sacred vestments, the church was covered with dark
ness and mourning. He approaches the altar, and, in
saying the Introibo ad altare Dei, the trumpet sounds
1 "Nonne Christus potest stare, et dicere: Juda ! tradis osculo
Filium hominis !" — Serin. 42.
2 " Qui Christi corpus indigne conficit, Christum tradit, ut Christus,
dum traditur dicat; Ecce manus tradentis me mecum est in mensa."
— P. de Blots, Epist. 123.
3 " Ineisqui peccant, nee sanctamysteriacontingere verentur, totus
daemon se insinuat; quod etiam in proditore quoque fecit." — Egist. 1.
3» eP- 364-
CHAP, vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 133
again and repeats, ultio,p(Ena, dolor. In an instant the
altar appeared to be surrounded by flames of fire, which
denoted the just fury of the Lord against the unworthy
celebrant; and at the same time a great multitude of
angels were seen with swords in their hands as if to exe
cute vengeance on him for the sacrilegious Mass which
he was going to offer. When the monster came near
the consecration, a crowd of vipers sprung from the
midst of the flames to drive him away from the altar;
these vipers represented his fears and stings of con
science. But they were all useless; the impious wretch
preferred his own reputation to all these stings of re
morse. Finally he pronounced the words of consecra
tion; and instantly the servant of God felt a universal
earthquake, which caused heaven, earth, and hell to
tremble. She saw angels around the altar bathed in
tears; but the divine mother wept still more bitterly at
the death of her innocent son, and at the loss of a sinful
child. After a vision so tremendous and dismal, the
servant of God was so overpowered with fear and sor
row that she could do nothing but weep. The author
of her life remarks that it was in the same year the
earthquake happened which produced such havoc in the
city of Naples and in the surrounding country. Hence
we may infer that this earthquake was a punishment
for the sacrilegious Mass at which Sister Mary was
present.
But, exclaims St. Augustine, what more horrid impiety
can be conceived than that the tongue that calls down
the Son of God from heaven should be, at the very same
moment, employed in outraging his majesty? or that
the hands that are bathed in the blood of Jesus Christ
should be, at the same time, polluted with the blood of
sin.1 To the sacrilegious priest St. Bernard says: O
"Ne lingua, quae vocat de coelo Filium Dei, contra Dominum
loquatur; et manus, quae intinguntur sanguine Christi, polluantur
sanguine peccati." — Molina, Instr. Sacr. tr. i, c. 5, § 2.
134 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
unworthy wretch ! if you wish to commit the enormous
crime of celebrating Mass in the state of sin, at least
procure another tongue, and do not employ that which
is washed in the blood of Jesus Christ; procure hands
different from those which you stretch out to touch his
sacred flesh.1 Oh ! let the priest who wishes to live at
enmity writh God at least abstain from sacrilegiously
offering sacrifice on his altar ! But, no ! says St. Bona-
venture: he will, for the sake of the miserable stipend
that he receives, continue to commit a sin of such hor
rible enormity.2 Perhaps he expects that the sacred
flesh of Jesus Christ which he offers in sacrifice will
deliver him from his iniquities ? Shall the holy flesh, says
the prophet Jeremias, take away from thee thy crimes in
which thou hast boasted? 3 No: the contact of that sacred
body, as long as you remain in the state of sin, shall
render you more guilty and more deserving of chastise
ment. He, says St. Peter Chrysologus, who commits
a crime in the presence of his judge can advance no
grounds of defence.4
What chastisement does not the priest deserve who,
.instead of carrying with him to the altar flames of
divine charity, brings the fetid fire of unchaste love !
Speaking of the punishment inflicted on the sons of
Aaron for having offered strange fire, St. Peter Damian
says: " Let us take care not to mingle unholy fire, that
is, the flames of lust with the salutary sacrifices." !
1 " Quando ergo peccare volueris, quaere aliam linguam quam earn
quae rubescit sanguine Christi, alias manus praeter eas quae Christum
suscipiunt."
'2 " Accedunt, non vocati a Deo, sed impulsi ab avaritia." — De
Prcep. ad M. c. 8.
3 " Numquid carnes sanctae auferent a te malitias tuas, in quibus
gloriata es ?"— fer. xi. 15.
4 " Excusatione caret, qui facinus, ipso judice teste, committit."
— Serm. 26.
5 " Cavendum est ne alienum ignem, hoc est, libidinis flammam,
inter salutares hostias deferanuis." — Opusc. 26, c. i. I. evil. x.
CHAP, vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 135
Whosoever, adds the saint, shall dare to carry the flame
of lust to the altar, shall certainly be consumed by the
fire of God's vengeance.1 May the Lord, then, says the
holy Doctor in another place, preserve us from ever
adoring on the altar the idol of impurity, and from
placing the Son of the Virgin in the Temple of Venus,
that is, in an unchaste heart! 2 If the man that came to
the feast without the nuptial garment was cast into
darkness, how much greater vengeance shall fall on him
who approaches the divine table not only not clothed
with a decent garment, but exhaling the stench of his
impurities? says the same St. Peter Damian.3 Woe, ex
claimed St. Bernard, to him that separates himself from
God; but still greater woe to the priest who approaches
the altar with a guilty conscience.4 Speaking one day
to St. Bridget of a priest who had sacrilegiously cele
brated Mass, the Lord said that he entered into the
soul of that priest as a spouse for his sanctification, and
that he was obliged to depart from it as a judge, to in
flict the punishment merited by the sacrilegious recep
tion of his body.5
If the sacrilegious priest will not abstain from cele
brating the divine mysteries in the state of sin, through
horror of the insult, or rather of so many insults, offered
to God by sacrilegious Masses, he ought at least to
1 " Quisquis carnalis concupiscentiae flamma aestuat, et sacris assis-
tere mysteriis non formidat, ille, procul dubio, divinse ultionis igne
consumitur." — Opusc. 27, c. 3.
- " Absit ut aliquis huic idolo substernatur, ut Filium Virginis in
Veneris templo suscipiat." — Serin. 60.
3 "Quid illi sperandum, qui, coelestibus tricliniis intromissus, non
modo non est spiritualis indumenti decore conspicuus, sed ultro etiam
fsetet sordentis luxurise squalore perfusus." — Opusc. 18. d. i, c. 4.
4 " Vse ei qui se alienum fecerit ab eo: et multum vse ei qui im-
mundus accesserit." — De Old. vita. c. 2.
5 " Ingredior ad Sacerdotem istum ut sponsus; egredior ut Judex,
judicaturus contemptus a sumente." — Rev. 1. 4, c. 62.
136 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
tremble at the awful chastisement prepared for him. St.
Thomas of Villanova teaches that no punishment is
sufficient to avenge a crime so enormous as a sacrilegious
Mass. " Woe," he says, " to the sacrilegious hands! woe
to the unclean breast of the impious priest! Every
punishment is inadequate to the sin by which Christ is
despised in this sacrifice." 2 Our Lord once said to St.
Bridget that such priests are cursed by all creatures in
heaven and on earth.2 A priest, as we have said in
another place, is a vessel consecrated to God; and as
Balthasar was chastised for having profaned the vessels
of the Temple, so says, Peter de Blois, shall the priest
be punished who unworthily offers sacrifice: " We see
priests abusing vessels consecrated to God, but near
them is that hand and that terrible writing: Mane,
Thecel, Phares — numbered, weighed, divided."1 Thou
art numbered: a single sacrilege is sufficient to put an
end to the number of divine graces. Thou art weighed :
such a crime is enough to make the balance of divine
justice descend to the eternal perdition of the sacri
legious priest. Divided : enraged at such an enormity,
the Lord shall banish and separate you from himself for
eternity. Thus, then, shall be verified the words of
David: Let their table become as a snare before them? The
altar shall become for the sacrilegious priest the place
of his punishment, where, remaining obstinate in sin, he
shall be bound in the chains of hell, and shall be made
the perpetual slave of Satan. For, according to St.
1 "Vae sacrilegis manibus, vae immundis pectoribus impiorum
Sacerdotum! omne supplicium minus est flagitio quo Christus con-
tern nitur in hoc sacrificio." — De Sacrum, alt. cone. 3.
2 " Maledicti sunt a ccelo et terra, et ab hominibus creaturis, quae
ipsae obediunt Deo, et isti spreverunt." — Rev. 1. I, c. 47.
3 " Videmus Sacerdotes abutentes vasis Deo consecratis; sed prope
est manus ilia et scriptura terribilis: Mane, Thecel, Phares : Numera-
tum, Appensum, Divisum." — Serin. 56
4 " Fiat mensa eorum coram ipsis in laqueum." — Ps. Ixviii. 23.
CHAP, vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 137
Laurence Justinian, they that communicate in mortal
sin adhere with greater pertinacity to sin.1 This is con
formable to the doctrine of the apostle, that he that eat-
eth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to
himself? Hence St. Peter Damian exclaims: O priest
of God, who offer to the eternal Father his own Son
in sacrifice do not beforehand immolate yourself as a
victim to the devil.3
1 " Sumentes indigne, prae cseteris delicta graviora committunt, et
pertinaciores in malo sunt." — S. de Euchar.
2 " Qui enim manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et
bibit." — I Cor. xi. 29.
3 "Cur, o Sacerdos, qui sacrificium Deo debes offerre, temetipsum
prius maligno spiritui non vereris victimam immolare?" — Opusc. 17,
c. 3-
138 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE SIN OF SCANDAL.
THE devil' first procured the invention of deities
addicted to vice, he then sought to induce the Gentiles
to worship them, that thus men might consider it law
ful to sin as often as they pleased, and that they might
even lose all horror for the vices with which they saw
their gods clothed. This, Seneca, who was a Gentile,
confessed: " Since we have such gods the horror of
vice should disappear from among men." ' " To attribute
vices to the gods — what is it but to inflame passion
in the hearts of men, at the same time legalizing all the
disorders through the example of the divinity?" 2 Hence,
as we read in the works of the same Seneca, the unhappy
Gentiles would say: "Why should that be forbidden to
me what the gods have a right to do ?" 3 But what the
devil obtained from the Gentiles by means of these pre
tended deities, whom he proposed as models for imita
tion, he now obtains from Christians by means of the
scandalous priest, who by his bad example persuades
poor seculars into a belief that what they see in their
pastor is lawful, or at least not a great evil in world
lings. "Seculars think," says St. Gregory, "that all is
allowed them what they see their pastors do, so that
1 " Quibus nihil aliud actum est, quam ut pudor hominibus peccandi
demeretur." — De Vita beata, c. 26.
2 " Quid aliud est vitia incendere, quam auctores illis inscribere
deos, dare morbo, exemplo divinitatis, excusatam licentiam ?" — De
Brevit. vita, c. 1 6.
3 " Quod divos decuit, cur mihi turpe putem ?"
CHAP- viii.] The Sin of Scandal. 1 39
they imitate them the more ardently." God has placed
priests in the world that they maybe a model to others,
as our Saviour himself was sent by his Father to be an
example to the world: As the Father hath sent me, I also
send you? Hence St. Jerome wrote to a bishop to guard
against actions by the imitation of which others might
be drawn, as it were, by force into sin.3
The sin of scandal consists not only in directly
advising others to do evil, but also in inducing them in
directly by acts to the commission of sin. Scandal is
thus defined by St. Thomas and other theologians:
" Every word or action, more or less inordinate, that con
stitutes for the neighbor an occasion of falling into sin." "
To understand the grievousness of the sin of scandal, it
is enough to know, that according to St. Paul he who
offends against a brother by leading him into sin, offends
against Jesus Christ: When you sin against the brethren,
and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ? St
Bernard assigns the reason, saying, that the author of
scandal robs Jesus Christ of the souls redeemed by his
blood. The saint goes so far as to say that Jesus Christ
suffers more from those that scandalize others than he
did from his crucifiers. " If our Lord," he says, " has
given his blood to redeem souls, do you not think that of
these two persecutions, the one in which scandal robs
him of souls purchased by his blood, the other in which
1 " Persuadent sibi id licere, quod a suis pastoribus fieri conspiciunt,
et ardentius perpetrant."
s " Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos." — John, xx. 21.
3 " Cave ne committas quod, qui volunt imitari, coguntur delin-
quere." — Ep. ad Heliod.
4 " Dictum vel factum minus rectum, praebens occasionem ruinae."
—2, 2, q. 43, a. i.
5 " Peccantes autem in fratres, et percutientes conscientiam eorum
infirmam, in Christum peccatis." — i Cor. viii. 12.
140 Material for Sermons. [PART i
the Jews shed his blood, the first is much more cruel to
his heart ?" J
But if in all, even in seculars, the sin of scandal is so
detestable, how much greater must be its malice in a
priest, whom God has placed on earth to save souls and
to conduct them to heaven ! The priest is called the
salt of the earth and the light of the world.2 The office
of salt is to preserve soundness and prevent putrefaction,
and the office of the priest is to preserve souls in the
grace of God. What, says St. Augustine, shall become
of the people if the priest does not perform the office of
salt.3 Then the saint proceeds to say, this salt shall be
fit only to be cast away by the Church, and to be trod
den by all.4 But what, if, instead of being a preservative,
this salt be employed in producing and promoting cor
ruption ? If instead of bringing souls to God, a priest
is occupied in leading them to perdition, whast punish
ment shall he deserve?
The priest is also the light of the world.5 Hence, says
St. John Chrysostom, he should shine with the splendor
of his sanctity so as to enlighten all others to imitate
his virtues.0 But should this light be changed into
darkness, what must become of the world ? Shall it not
" Si (Dominus) proprium sanguinem dedit in pretium redemptionis
animarum, non tibi videtur graviorem sustinere persecutionem ab illo
qui, scandali occasione avertit ab eo animas quas redemit, quam a
Judseo, qui sanguinem suum fudit ?" — In Conv. S. Pauli, s. i.
2 " Vos estis-sal terrae?" — Matt. v. 13.
3 " Itaque, si sal infatuatum fuerit, in quo salietur? Qui erunt
homines per quos a vobis error auferatur, cum vos elegerit Deus, per
quos errorem auferat caeterorum ?"
4 " Ergo ad nihilum valet sal infatuatum, nisi ut mittatur foras, et
calcetur ab hominibus." — De Sertn. Dom. in monte, 1. I, c. C.
5 "Vos estis lux mundi."— Matt. v. 14.
6 " Splendore vitae totum illuminantis orbem splendere debet animus
Sacerdotis." — De Sacerd. 1. 6.
CHAP, viii.] The Sin of Scandal. 141
be brought to ruin ? says St. Gregory.1 The saint has
written the same to the bishops of France, whom he
exhorted to chastise the priest who is guilty of scandal.2
This is conformable to the words of the Prophet Osee:
And there shall be like people like priest? By the mouth of
Jeremias the Lord has said, And I will fill the soul of the
priest with fatness : and My people shall be filled with good
things.'' Hence St. Charles Borromeo says that if the
priests be fat and rich in virtue, the people, too, shall be
rich; but if the priests be poor, the people shall be in
still greater poverty.5
Thomas de Cantimpre writes that in Paris a devil told
an ecclesiastic to preach to the clergy of that city, and
to say that the princes of hell saluted and thanked some
of them for having caused the damnation of an immense
multitude of souls.6 Of this the Lord complained by
the Prophet Jeremias: My people, hath been a lost flock;
their shepherds have caused them to go astray} There is no
alternative, says St. Gregory; when the priest walks into
the precipice, the people, too, are dashed to ruin.3 The
bad example of the priest necessarily produces im-
1 " Laqueus ruinse populi mei, Sacerdotes mali." — Fast. p. i, c, 2.
2 " Ne paucorum facinus multorum possit esse perditio; nam causa
sunt ruinse populi Sacerdotes mali." — Epist. 1. 9, ep. 64.
3 " Et erit, sicut populus, sic Sacerdos." — Os. iv. 9.
4 " Et inebriabo animam Sacerdotum pinguedine, et populus meus
bonis meis adimplebitur." — Jer. xxxi. 14.
5 '' Si pingues sint Sacerdotes, erunt itidern populi pingues; et
secus, si illi inanes erunt, magnum populis imminebit paupertatis per-
iculum." — /;/ Synod, dicec. n, orat. I.
6 ""Principes tenebrarum principes Ecclesiae salutant. Laeti omnes
nos gratias eisdem referimus, quia, per eorum negligentiam, ad nos
devolvitur totus fere mundus." — De Apib. 1. i, c. 20.
7 " Grex perditus factus est populus meus; pastores eorum sedux-
erunt eos." — Jer. 1. 6.
8 " Unde fit ut, cum pastor per abrupta graditur, ad prsecipitium
grex sequatur." — Past. p. i, c. 2.
142 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
morality among his people, says St. Bernard.1 Should
a secular mistake the way, he alone is lost; but when a
priest errs, he shall cause the perdition of many, par
ticularly of those that are under his care, says the same
St. Bernard.2 The Lord ordained in Leviticus that for
the sin of a single priest a calf should be offered, as well
as for the sins of the entire people. From this Innocent
III. concludes that the sin of a priest is as grievous as
the sins of the whole people. The reason is, says the
Pontiff, that by his sin the priest leads the entire people
into sin.3 And, long before, the Lord himself said the
same: If the priest that is anointed shall sin, he maketh the
people to offend." Hence, St. Augustine, addressing priests,
says, " Do not close heaven: but this you do if you give
to others a bad example to lead a wicked life."' Our
Lord said one day to St. Bridget, that when sinners see
the bad example of the priest, they are encouraged to
commit sin, and even begin to glory in the vices of which
they were before ashamed.6 Hence our Lord added
that worse maledictions shall fall on the priest than on
others, because by his sinful life he brings himself and
others to perdition.7
1 " Misera eorum conversatio plebis subversio est." — In Conv. S.
Pauli, s. i.
2 " Si quis de populo deviat, solus perit; verum principis error mul-
tos involvit, et tantis obest, quantis praeest ipse." — Epist. 127.
3 " Unde conjicitur quod peccatum Sacerdotis totius multitudinis
peccato cosequatur, quia Sacerdos in suo peccato totam fecit delinquere
multitudinem." — In Consecr. Pont. s. i.
4 " Si Sacerdos qui unctus est, peccaverit, delinquere faciens
populum." — Lev. iv. 3.
5 " Nolite eis ccelum claudere; clauditis, dum male vivere osten-
ditis." — Ad Fratr. in er. s. 36.
6 "Viso exemplo pravo Sacerdotum, peccator nduciam peccandi
sumit, et incipit de peccato, quod prius reputabat erubescibile, glo-
riari."
7 " Ideo ipsis erit amplior maledictio prae aliis, quia se vita sua
perdunt et alio§." — Rev. 1. 4, c. 132.
CHAP, viii.] The Sin of Scandal. 1 43
The author of the Imperfect Work says that all that
see a tree covered with pale and withered leaves im
mediately infer that its roots have been injured; and
when we see a people immoral, we may justly conclude,
without danger of rash judgment, that the priest is a
man without virtue.1 Yes, says St. John Chrysostom,
the life of the priest is the root from which the people,
who are the branches, receive nutriment. St. Ambrose a
also says that priests are the head from which virtue
flows to the members, that is, to seculars. The whole head
is sick, says the Prophet Isaias; . . . from the sole of the
foot unto the top of the head there is no soundness therein?
St. Isidore explains this passage in the following words:
" This languishing head is the priest that commits sin,
and that communicates his sin to the whole body." ' St.
Leo weeps over this evil, saying, How can health be
found in the body if the head be not sound?5 Who,
says St. Bernard, shall seek in a sink the limpid water
of the spring ? Shall I, adds the saint, seek counsel
from the man that knows not how to give counsel to
himself?6 Speaking of the bad example of. princes,
Plutarch 7 says, that it poisons not a single cup, but the
public fountain; and thus, because all draw from the
1 " Vidit arborem pallentibus foliis marcidam, et intellexit agricola
quia Isesuram in radicibus habet; ita, cum videris populum irreligiosum,
sine dubio cognoscis quia Sacerdotium ejus non est sanum." — Horn.
38.
2 De Dignit. sac. c. 5.
3 " Omne caput languidum. ... A planta pedis usque ad verticem,
non est in eo sanitas." — Is. i. 5.
4 " Caput enim languidum doctor est agens peccatum, cujus malum
ad corpus pervenit." — Sent. 1. 3, c. 38.
5 " Totius familiae Domini status et ordo nutabit, si, quod re-
quiritur in corpore, non inveniatur in capite." — Epist. 87.
6 " Quis enim in cceno fontem requirat? . . . An vero idoneum
eum putabo, qui mihi det consilium, quod non dat sibi ?" — Ojficior. 1.
2, c. 12.
7 Opusc. Max. cum princip. philos..
1 44 Material for Sermons. , [PART i.
fountain, all are poisoned. This may be said with
greater truth of the bad example of priests; hence
Eugene III. has said that bad Superiors are the prin
cipal causes of the sins of inferiors.1
Priests are called by St. Gregory 2 Patres Christianorum
—The Fathers of Christians. Thus also are they called
by St. John Chrysostom, who says that a priest as the
representative of God is bound to take care of all men,
because he is the Father of the whole world.3 As a
parent, then, sins doubly when he gives bad example to
his children, so a priest is also guilty of a double sin
when he gives bad example to seculars, says Peter de
Blois.4 St. Jerome made the same remark in a letter to
a certain bishop: " Whatever you do, all will think they
may also do."5 When they sin at the sight of the bad
example of a priest, seculars, as Cesarius has observed,
say, " Do not also priests do such things ?" 6 St. Augus
tine puts the following words into the mouth of a secu
lar: "Why do you reproach me ? are not priests doing
the same? and you wish to force me not to do so ?" 7 St.
Gregory says that when, instead of edifying the people,
a priest gives scandal, he renders sin, in a certain man
ner, honorable rather than an object of horror.3
1 " Inferiorum culpae ad nullos magis referenda? sunt, quam ad de-
sides rectores." — 6". Bernard. De Consid. 1. 3, c. 5.
2 In Evang. horn. 17.
3 " Quasi totius orbis pater Sacerdos est; dignum igitur est ut
omnium curam agat, sicut ut Deus, cujus fungitur vice." — In i 'J'im.
horn. 6.
4 " Quid faciet laicus, nisi quod patrem suum spiritualem viderit
facientem." — Serm. 57.
5 " Quidquid feceris, id sibi omnes faciendum putant." — Ep. ad
Heliod.
6 " Numquid talia clerici, etiam majoris ordinis, faciunt?" — Serm.
15-
7 " Quid mihi loqueris ? Ipsi clerici non illud faciunt, et me cogis
ut faciam ?" — Serin. 137, E. B.
8 " In exemplum culpa vehementer extenditur, quando, pro re-
vereniia Ordinis, peccator honoratur." — Past. p. i, c. 2.
CHAP, viii.]- The Sin of Scandal. 145
Such a priest, then, is at the same time a parent and
a parricide; for, as St. Gregory says, he is the cause of
the death of his spiritual children. " You see," says the
saint, " what blows daily are given to the people, and
whose fault is it but the fault of priests? We are the
cause of the death of the people, while we should be
their leaders to eternal life." ' Some one that has lost
the divine light may say I must give an account of my
own sins, but what have I to do with the sins of
others? He may say what he pleases, but I exhort him
to listen to the words of St. Jerome: "If you say I have
enough to do with my own conscience; what do I care
for people's talk? listen to the words of the Apostle:
Providing good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in
the sight of all men"* St. Bernard says that the scan
dalous priest kills others at the same time that he mur
ders his own soul.3 And in another place the saint
writes that there is no plague more noxious to the peo
ple than ignorance in a priest united with irregularity
of life.4 In another place the same saint says that in
their sermons many priests are orthodox, but in their
conduct they are heretics; because by their bad ex
ample they inflict a deeper wound on religion than
heretics do by teaching false doctrines, because acts
have more force than words.5
1 "Quibus quotidie percussionibus intereat populus videtis; cujus
hoc, nisi nostro praecipue, peccato agitur? Nos pereunti populo
auctores mortis existimus, qui esse debuimus duces ad vitam." — In
Evang. horn. 17.
2 "Si dixeris: Et mihi sufficit conscientia mea; non euro quid lo-
quantur homines; — audi Apostolum scribentem: ' Providentes bona,
non tantum coram Deo, sed etiam coram omnibus hominibus.'" —
Rom. xii. 17.
3 "Non parcunt suis, qui non parcunt sibi, perimentes pariter et
pereuntes." — In Cant. s. 77.
4 " Post indoctos prelates malosque, in Ecclesia, nulla pestis ad
nocendum infirmis valentior invenitur." — De Ord. vitte. c. I.
0 " Multi sunt catholici prsedicando, qui hseretici sunt operando:
10
146 Material for Sermons. LPART i.
Seneca says that the way of instruction is a long and
tedious way of learning vice or virtue; but the way of
example is short and efficacious.1 Hence, speaking par
ticularly of the chastity of priests, St. Augustine has
written : " To all chastity is very necessary, but especially
to the ministers of Christ, whose lives should be to others
a sermon unto salvation." 2 How can the slave of lust
preach chastity ? says St. Peter Damian.3 St. Jerome
says that the very state and dress of an ecclesiastic call
for and demand chastity.4 What a source of scandal,
then, to the Church to see a man with the name and
rank of a saint give examples of vice? " No one," says
St. Gregory, " injures the Church more than he that
bears the name and the Order of sanctity." ' And must
it not, adds St. Isidore of Pelusium, be a still more dis
astrous evil to see a priest avail himself of his dignity
as the arms with which he commits sin ?6 According to
the words of Ezechiel, such a priest renders the exalted
dignity of his state an object of abomination: Thou hast
made thy beauty to be abominable.'1 St. Bernard says that
the priest that does not give good example is an ob-
quod haeretici faciebant per prava dogmata, hoc faciunt plures hodie
per mala exempla; et tanto graviores sunt hsereticis, quanto prseva-
lent opera verbis." — S. ad Past, in Syn.
1 " Longum iter est per prsecepta, breve et efficax per exempla." —
Epist. 6.
2 " Omnibus castitas pernecessaria est, sed maxime ministris Christi
altaris, quorum vita aliorum debet esse assidua salutis prsedicatio." —
Serin. 291, E. B. app.
3 " Qui praedicator constitutus es castitatis, non te pudet servum esse
libidinis ?" — Opnsc. 17, c. 3.
4 " Clamat vestis clericalis, clamat status professi animi sancti-
tatem."
5 "Nemo amplius in Ecclesia nocet, quam qui, perverse agens,
nomen vel ordinem sanctitatis habet." — Past. p. I, c. 2.
" Sacerdotii dignitate velut armis ad vitium abuti." — Epist. 1. 2,
ep. 162.
7 " Abominabilem fecisti decorem tuum." — Ezech. xvi. 25.
CHAP, viii.] The Sin of Scandal. 147
ject of scorn to the entire people.1 It is not in order
to see a priest live like worldlings; but what a scandal
to see his conduct worse than that of seculars ? says the
author of the Imperfect Work? And what example,
says St. Ambrose, can the people take from you, if in
you, who are esteemed holy, they witness actions of
which they themselves are ashamed ? 3
Hear ye this, O priests, says the prophet Osee, . . . for
there is a judgment against you, because you have been a snare
to them whom you should have watched over, and a net spread
upon Thabor." The sportsman employs decoys, that is,
birds that are bound so that they cannot fly away, and
the devil employs the authors of scandal in order to
catch souls in his net. Says St. Ephrem: ''When the
soul is once caught it becomes as a snare for catching
others."5 Of these authors of scandal God complains
by the prophet Jeremias, saying, For among My people
are found wicked men, that lie in wait as fowlers, setting snares
and traps to catch!' But, says Caesar of Aries, the devil
seeks in a special manner to employ for his decoys
scandalous priests; hence this author calls them decoy
birds whom the devils usually incite to catch others.7
1 " Aut cseteris honestiores, aut fabula omnibus sunt." — De Consid.
1. 4, c. 6.
2 " Quomodo non sit confusio esse Sacerdotes inferiores laicis, quos
etiam esse sequales magna confusio est?" — Horn. 40.
3 " Si, qua? in se erubescit, in te, quern reverendum arbitratur,
offendat?" — Epist. 6.
4 " Audite hoc, Sacerdotes; . . . quia vobis judicium est, quoniam
laqueus facti estis speculation!, et rete expansum." — Os. v. I.
6 " Cum primum captafuerit anima, ad alias decipiendas fit laqueus."
— De recta viv. rat. c. 22.
6 " Quia inventi sunt in populo meo impii insidiantes quasi aucupes,
laqueos ponentes et pedicas ad capiendos viros." — Jer. v. 26.
1 "Quomodo aucupes facere solent, qui columbas, quas prius
ceperint, excaecant et surdas faciunt, ut, dum ad illas reliquae co-
lumba? convenerint, praparatis retibus capiantur." — Horn. 35.
1 48 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
A certain author attests that in ancient times when a
simple ecclesiastic passed by the way all rose up and
besought him to recommend them to God. Is this done
at the present day? Alas! Jeremias weeps, and says:
How is the gold become dim, the finest color is changed, the
stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the top of every street ? 1
The gold, according to the exposition of Cardinal Hugo,
signifies ecclesiastics, in some of whom it has lost its
beautiful color: it has ceased to be ruddy with holy
charity; it has grown dim, and no longer shines with
the splendor of brilliant examples. The stones of the
sanctuary, that is, says St. Jerome, many of the priests,
are scattered through the streets, and serve only to pre
cipitate poor seculars into vice. This passage is thus
explained also by St. Gregory: "The gold is obscured,
for the priests dishonor their lives by the baseness of
their works. It has lost its beautiful color, since their
shameful actions have covered with reproach the sacer
dotal dignity. The stones of the sanctuary are scattered
through the streets, because recollection and the holy
exercises have given way to dissipation and worldly
occupations, so that one finds really no secular enter
prise to which the priest has not consecrated his energy." 2
The sons of My mother have fought against Me. 3 Origen
applies this passage to the disorderly priest, who, he
says, arms himself by his scandals against his own
mother, the Church. St. Jerome says that the Church
1 "Quomodo obscuratum est aurum, mutatus est color optimus, dis-
persi sunt lapides sanctuarii in capita omnium platearum!" — Lam. iv. i.
2 "Aurum quippe obscuratum est, quia Sacerdotum vita, per acti-
ones infirmas, ostenditur reproba; color optimus est mutat.us, quia
ille sanctitatis habitus, per abjecta opera, ad ignominiam despectionis
venit; dispersi sunt lapides sanctuarii in capite omnium platearum,
quia hi qui, per vitam et orationem, intus semper esse debuerant,
foris vacant. Ecce jam pene nulla est saeculi actio, quam non Sacer-
dotes administrat." — In Evang. horn. 17.
3 "Filii matris meae pugnaverunt contra me." — Cant. \. 5.
CHAP, vni.] The Sin of Scandal. 149
is laid waste by the scandalous lives of some of her
priests.1 Hence on the words of Ezechias, Behold in
peace is My bitterness most bitter? St. Bernard, speaking in
the name of the Church, said: " Now we have peace
from pagans, peace from heretics, not, however, from
our own children."5 At present, says the holy Church,
I am not persecuted by the pagans, for the tyrants have
ceased, nor by the heretics, because there are no new
heresies; but I am persecuted by the ecclesiastic, who by
his scandals robs me of so many souls. " I think," says
St. Gregory, "that no one injures the interests of God
as the priests do whom he has himself charged with the
duty of drawing souls from vice, and who by their bad
example precipitate them into it."4
By his bad example the scandalous priest brings dis
grace even on his own ministry, that is, on his sermons,
Masses, and all his functions. Against this the Apostle
has warned priests: Giving no offence to any man, that our
ministry be not blamed, but in all things let us exhibit our
selves as the ministers of God? Salvian says that through
certain priests the law of Jesus Christ is dishonored.6
St. Bernardine of Sienna writes that many, seeing the
bad example of the scandalous ecclesiastic, begin even
to waver in faith, and thus abandon themselves to vice,
despising the sacraments, hell, and heaven.7
1 " Propter vitia Sacerdotum Dei, sanctuarium destitutum est." —
Ep. ad Sabiniam.
2 " Ecce in pace amaritudo mea amarissima." — Is. xxxviii. 17.
3 " Pax a paganis, pax ab hsereticis, sed non profecto a filiis." — In
Cant. s. 33.
4 "Nullum puto ab aliis majus prsejudicium, quam a Sacerdotibus,
tolerat Deus, quando eos, quos ad aliorum correctionem posuit, dare
de se exempla pravitatis cernit." — In Evang. horn. 17.
5 " Nemini dantesullam offensionem, ut non vituperetur ministerium
nostrum; sed in omnibus exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei minis-
tros." — 1 Cor. vi. 3.
6 "In nobis lex Christiana maledicitur."
1 " Plurimi, considerantes cleri sceleratam vitam, ex hoc vacillantes,
1 50 Material for Sermons. [PART \.
St. John Chrysostom writes that the infidels, seeing
the vices of certain priests, would say that the God of
the Christians either was not the true God, or that he
was not a God of sanctity. For, said they, were he
holy, how could he tolerate the sins of his priests?1 In
the instruction on the Mass we shall relate more at
length the fact of a heretic who had resolved to abjure
his errors, but being afterwards present at a Mass cele
brated in a scandalous manner, he determined to remain
in his heresy, and said that even the Pope did not be
lieve in the Mass, for if he did he would condemn such
priests to be burnt alive. St. Jerome said that among
those that had infected the Church and perverted the
people, he found in history the names only of priests.2
And Peter de Blois says: " On account of the negligence
of priests heresies came into existence."1 In another
place he says: " On account of the sins of priests the
holy Church of God has been covered with opprobrium
and trodden in the dust."4 St. Bernard was of opinion
that greater injury is done to the Church by scandalous
priests than even by the heretics; because we may guard
against heretics, but how can we guard against the priest
of whose ministry we must necessarily avail ourselves ?
" See," says the holy Doctor, " what poison is now rav
aging the whole body of the Church ! The more it ex
tends the less it can be checked, and the greater the
imo multoties deficientes in fide, sacramenta despiciunt, vitia non
evitant, non horrent inferos, coelestia minima concupiscunt." — T. I.
s. 19, a. 2, c. i.
1 " Qualis est eorum Deus, qui talia agunt? numquid sustineret eos
talia facientes. nisi consentiret eorum operibus?" — Horn. 10.
2 " Veteres scrutans historias, invenire non possum scidisse Eccle-
siam, et populos seduxisse, praeter eos qui Sacerdotes a Deo positi
fuerunt." — In Oseam, c. 9. —
3 " Propter negligentiam Sacerdotum, haereses pullularunt."
4 " Propter peccata nostra (Sacerdotum), data est in conculcationem
et opprobrium Sancta Ecclesia Christi." — Serin. 60.
CHAP. viii. i The Sin of Scandal. 151
danger of becoming more hidden. Let a heretic preach
impious doctrines, and he will be expelled; let him have
recourse to violence, and we shall flee from him. But
now how can we reject or expel priests? We need
them, and all are our enemies." '
Oh ! ho'w great the punishment which is reserved for
the scandalous priest! If against every secular that
gives scandal vengeance has been threatened, Woe to that
man by whom the scandal coineth? how much more tremend
ous the scourge that shall fall on the scandalous priest
whom God has chosen from among all men for his own
minister! He chose him out of all flesh? Jesus Christ has
chosen him to bring forth fruit by saving souls. / have
chosen you, and have appointed you, that you should go, and should
bring forth fruit* And by bad example he robs Jesus
Christ of souls redeemed with his blood. St. Gregory
says that such a priest merits as many deaths as he gives
examples of vice.5 Speaking especially of priests, our
Lord said to St. Bridget: "Upon them greater maledic
tion will come, because by their conduct they damn not
only themselves, but also others." ' To them is intrusted
the care of cultivating the vineyard of the Lord; but he
casts out of his vineyard the scandalous priest, and
places in his stead others that will bring forth good
fruit: He will bring those evil men to an evil end: and will let
1 " Serpit hodie putida tabes per omne corpus Ecclesiae, et, quo
latius, eo desperatius, eoque periculosius quo interius; narn, si insur-
geret apertus inimicus haereticus, mitteretur foras; si violentus inimi-
cus, absconderet se ab eo; nunc vero, quern ejiciet, aut aquoabscondet
se ? omnes necessarii, et omnes adversarii." — In Cant. s. 33.
2 " Vae homini illi per quern scandalum venit." — Malt, xviii. 7.
3 " Elegit eum ex omni came !" — Ecclus. xlv. 4.
4 " Elegi vos et posui vos, ut eatis et fructum afferatis."— John, xv. 16.
5 " Si perversa perpetrant, tot mortibus digni sunt, quot ad subditos
suos perditionis exempla transmittunt." — Past. p. 3, c. i, adm. 5.
6 " Ipsis erit amplior maledictio, quia se vita sua perdunt, et alios."
—Kev. 1. 4, c. 132.
152 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
out His vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render Him
tJie fruit in due season? Alas! what shall become of the
scandalous priest on the day of judgment? I will, says
the Lord, meet them as the b-:ar that is robbed of her whelps?
With what rage does the bear rush on the sportsman
that has killed or stolen her whelps ! It is thus God has
declared that he will meet on the day of judgment the
priest that has destroyed instead of saving souls. And
if, says St. Augustine, we shall scarcely be able to give
an account of ourselves, what shall become of the priest
that shall have to render an account of the souls he has
sent to hell?3 And St. John Chrysostom says, " If priests
sin, all the people are led to sin. Hence every one must
render an account of his own sins; but the priests are
also responsible for the sins of others." Oh! how many
seculars, how many peasants, how many weak and tender
women, shall cover the priest with shame and confusion
in the valley of Josaphat ! " The layman," says St. John
Chrysostom, " will on the day of judgment receive the
priestly stole, but the sinful priest, stripped of his dig
nity, will have to take his place among infidels and
heretics." '"
Let us, then, dearly beloved priests, guard against
bringing to hell by our bad example the souls for whose
salvation God has placed us in the world. And for this
1 " Malos male perdet, et vineam suam locabit aliis agricolis, qui
reddant ei fructum temporibus suis." — Matt. xxi. 41.
2 " Occurram eis quasi ursa, raptis catulis." — Os. xiii. 8.
3 " Si pro se unusquisque vix poterit in die judicii rationem reddere,
quid de Sacerdotibus futurum est, a quibus sunt omnium animse requi-
rendae?" — Serm. 287, E. B. app.
4 " Si Sacerdotes fuerint in peccatis, totus populus convertitur ad
peccandum; ideo, unusquisque pro suo peccato reddet rationem, Sa
cerdotes autem pro omnium peccatis." — Horn. 38.
b " Laicus, in die judicii, stolam sacerdotalem accipiet; Sacerdos
autem peccator spoliabitur sacerdotii dignitate quam habuit, et erit
inter infideles et hypocritas." — Horn. 40.
CHAP, viii.] The Sin of Scandal. 153
purpose we must avoid not only actions that are in them
selves unlawful, but also those that have the appearance
of evil. From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves.1
The Council of Agatha ordains " that servant maids be
removed from the houses of priests."2 To keep young
servant maids, though they were not an occasion of evil
(which is impossible), has at least the appearance of evil,
and may give scandal to others. Hence the Apostle has
written that we should sometimes abstain from what is
lawful, lest it become a stumbling-block to the weak? It is
also necessary to abstain with great care from giving
expression to certain worldly maxims; such as, we must
not allow others to take precedence; we must enjoy the
present life; happy the. man that abounds in riches;
God is full of mercy and has pity on us, even on sinners
that persist in sin. But how scandalous would it be to
praise persons for sinful conduct ! For example, for
resenting an injury, or for maintaining a dangerous
friendship. " It is worse," says St. John Chrysostom,
" to praise those that do wrong, than to do wrong our
selves. "' He that has hitherto had the misfortune of
giving scandal, or of being the occasion of scandal, is
bound under pain of grievous sin to repair it by external
good example.
1 " Ab omni specie mala abstinete vos." — I Thess. v. 22.
'2 "Ut ancillse a mansione, in qua clericus manet, removeantur." —
Cone. Agath c. n.
3 " Ne forte, . , . offendiculum fiat infirmis." — I Cor. viii. 9.
4 " Longe pejus est, collaudare delinquentes, quam delinquere." —
De Saul et David, horn. 2.
154 Material for Sermons. [PART
CHAPTER IX.
THE ZEAL OF THE PRIEST.
(In giving the spiritual exercises to the clergy, the sermon on zeal
is the most necessary, and may be the most useful of all; for if one of
the priests who assist at the exercises resolves (as we ought to hope
through the divine grace) to employ himself in procuring the salva
tion of souls, God will gain not one but a hundred and a thousand
souls, who will be saved through the labors of that priest.)
WE shall speak in this chapter:
1. Of the obligation of priests to labor for the salva
tion of souls.
2. Of the pleasure that a priest who seeks the salva
tion of souls gives to God.
3. Of the eternal glory and the great reward that a
priest who labors for the salvation of souls may expect
from God.
I.
The Obligation of Every Priest to Labor for the Salvation of
Souls.
" In the world there are at the same time many and
few priests — many in name, but few in reality," ' says
the author of the " Imperfect Work." The world is filled
with priests, but few of them labor to be priests; that is,
to fulfil the duty and obligations of a priest, or to save
souls.
The dignity of priests is great, because they are the
coadjutors of God. " We are God's coadjutors."2 And
"Multi Sacerdotes, et pauci Sacerdotes: multi nomine, pauci
opere." — Ifoin. 43.
-i " Dei enim sumus adjutores." — I Cor. iii. 9.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 155
what greater dignity, says the Apostle, than that of co
operating with Jesus Christ in saving the souls which he
has redeemed ? Hence St. Denis the Areopagite calls
the dignity of the priest a divine dignity, and even the
most divine of all divine things.1 For, as St. Augustine
says, it requires more power to sanctify a sinner than to
create heaven and earth.2
St. Jerome used to call priests the saviours of the
world.3 St. Prosper calls them the administrators of
the royal house of God.4 And, long before, Jeremias
called them the fishers and sportsmen of the Lord:
Behold, I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and after
this I will send many hunters, and they shall liunt them from
every mountain and from every hill, and out of the holes of the
rocks? St. Ambrose " explains this passage of priests
who gain to God the most abandoned sinners, and de
liver them from all their vices. The mountain signifies
pride; the hill, pusillanimity; and the holes of the rocks,
bad habits, which bring with them darkness of under
standing and coldness of heart. Peter de Blois says
that in the work of creation God had no one to assist
him, but in the mystery of redemption he wished to
have coadjutors.7 Who on this earth is superior to the
priest? "To the king are intrusted earthly things; to
me, a priest, heavenly things," 8 says St. Chrysostom.
1 See page 46.
2 See page 35.
3 " Sacerdotes Dominus mundi esse voluit salvatores." — InAbdiam,
21.
4 " Dispensatores regiae domus." — De vita cont. 1. 2, c. 2.
" Ecce ego mittam piscatores multos, dicit Dominus, et piscabuntur
eos; et post haec, mittam eis multos venatores, et venabuntur eos de
omni monte, et de omni colle, et de cavernis petrarum." — -Jer, xvi. 16.
6 In Ps. 1 1 8, s. 6.
"In opere creationis, non fuit qui adjuvaret; in mysterio vero
redemptionis, voluit habere coadjutores." — Set in. 47.
" Regi, quse hie sunt, commissa sunt; mini coelestia, mihi Sacer-
doti." — De Vcrbis Is. horn. 4.
156 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
And Innocent III. adds: "Although the dignity of the
Blessed Virgin was greater than that of the apostles,
yet to these, and not to her, were given the keys of the
kingdom of heaven." '
St. Peter Damian calls the priest the leader of the
people of God.2 St. Bernard styles him the guardian of
the Church, which is the spouse of Jesus Christ.3 St.
Clement, an earthly god.4 For by the ministry of
priests the saints are formed on earth. St. Flavian
says that all the hope and salvation of men is placed
in the hands of priests.5 And St. John Chrysostom
writes, " Our parents generate us for the present life,
priests for life eternal."1 Without priests, says St.
Ignatius Martyr, there would be no saints on this earth.7
And, long before, holy Judith said that on priests de
pends the salvation of the people. You are the ancients
among the people of God, and their very soul resteth upon you?
The priest is the author of holiness of life in seculars,
and on him depends their salvation. Hence St. Clement
has said: " Honor priests as those that effect good con
duct in others." 9
Great, then, beyond measure, is the dignity and office
of priests, but great also is their obligation to labor for
1 "Licet Beatissima Virgo excellentior fuerit Apostolis, non tamen
illi, sed istis Dominus claves regni coelorum commisit." — Cap. Nova
quccdam, de Pan. et Rem.
2 "Sacerdos, dux exercitus Domini." — Opusc. 25, c. 2.
"Sponsae Custodem." — In Cant. s. 77.
4 "Post Deum, terrenus deus." — Const. Apost. 1. 2, c. 26.
5 " Nihil honorabilius Sacerdotibus; omnis enim spes atque salus in
iis est." — Ep. ad S. Leon.
6 " Parentes in prsesentem, Sacerdotes in vitam aeternam nos gene-
rant." — De Sacerd. \. 3.
'"Absque Sacerdotibus, nulla sanctorum congregatio." — Ep. ad
Trail.
"Vos estis presbyteri in populo Dei, et ex vobis pendet anima
illorum." — Judith, viii. 21.
9 " Honorate Sacerdotes, ut bene vivendi auctores."
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 1 5 7
the salvation of souls. For, says the apostle, every high-
priest taken from among men, in the things that appertain to
God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins.1 He
afterwards proceeds to say: Who can have compassion on
them that are ignorant.'' The priest, then, is appointed by
God as well to honor him by sacrifices, as also to save
souls by instructing and converting sinners.
A kingly priesthood^ . . . a purchased people* The order
of ecclesiastics differs altogether from that of seculars.
The latter attend to the things of the world and to them
selves, but the former are a purchased people; a people
whose business it is to gain not the goods of this earth,
but the souls of men, says St. Ambrose.4 St. Antonine
says that the very name of the priest explains the nature
of his office, for sacerdos signifies " he that teaches holy
things."5 And St. Thomas says, "He that distributes
holy things."6 Honorius of Autun says, presbyter signi-
nifies " he that shows the way from exile to our Country. ";
St. Ambrose calls priests the " leaders of the flock of
Christ." ' Hence the saint says in another place: " May
the name and the works agree, so that the name may not
remain a vain title and may not become the cause of
terrible crime."1 If, then, the meaning of the words
sacerdos and presbyter is to assist souls in order to save
1 " Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus
constituitur in iis quae sunt ad Deum, ut offerat dona et sacrificia pro
peccatis." — Heb. v. i.
2 "Qui condolere possit iis qui ignorant et errant." — Ibid. v. 2.
3 "Regale sacerdotium, . . . populus acquisitions. " — i Pet. ii. 9.
4 " Clericatus officium est quaestus, non pecuniarum, sed animarum."
—Serm. 78.
6 "Sacerdos, id est, sacra docens." — Summ. p. 3, tit. 14, c. 7, § i.
6 "Sacerdos, quasi sacra dans." — P. 3, q. 22, a. i.
7 " Presbyter dicitur praebens iter populo de exsilio ad patriam." —
Gemma, an. 1. i, c. 181.
8 "Duces et Rectores gregis Christi." — De Dignit. sac. c. 2.
9 " Nomen congruat actioni, ne sit nomen inane, crimen immane."
-Ibid. c. 3.
158 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
and conduct them to heaven, let the name and conduct,
says St. Ambrose, correspond; that the name may not
be empty, and that the honor of the office may not be
come a source of guilt. " The misery of the flock is the
shame of the shepherd," ' adds the same holy Doctor.
If, then, says St. Jerome, you wish to perform the office
of a priest, let the salvation of others be the gain of your
soul.2 And St. Anselm holds that the proper office of a
priest is to preserve souls from the corruption of the
world, and to lead them to God.3 Hence the Lord has
separated priests from the rest of mankind, that they
may save themselves and others.4 Zeal, as St. Augustine
says,5 springs from love. Hence, as charity obliges us
to love God and our neighbor, so zeal obliges us first to
procure the glory and to prevent the dishonor of God,
and afterwards to seek the welfare and to avert the in
jury of our neighbor.
It is useless to say, I am a simple priest; I have not
the care of souls; it is enough for me to attend to my
self. No: every priest is bound to attend, in the way in
which he can, to the salvation of souls, according to
their necessity. And in a district in which souls are in
grievous spiritual necessity for want of confessors a
simple priest is, as we- have proved in our Moral Theol
ogy,6 bound to hear confessions; and if he has not the
necessary qualifications, he is obliged to qualify himself
for the office of confessor. This is the opinion that the
learned Father Pavone of the Society of Jesus has held
1 " Detrimentum pecoris pastoris ignominia est." — Reg. Monach. de
Laitde vit.
2 " Si officium vis exercere presbyteri, aliorum salutem fac lucrum
animse tuse." — Ep. ad Pattliit.
3 " Sacerdotis proprium est, animas e mundo rapere, et dare Deo."
4 " De medio populi segregantur, ut, non solum seipsos, verum et
populum tueantur." — DC Dignit. cler. c. 2.
5 In Ps. 118, s. 30.
6 Theolog. Moral. 1. 6, n. 625.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 1 59
in his works, and not without reason; for as God has
sent Jesus Christ to save the world, so Jesus Christ has
appointed priests to convert sinners. As the Father hath
sent me, I also send you? Hence the Council of Trent
ordains that they that wish to receive priesthood should
prove themselves fit for the administration of the sacra
ments.2 For this end, says the angelic Doctor, God has
constituted the order of priests, that they may sanctify
others by the administration of the sacraments.3 And
priests are specially appointed to administer the sacra
ment of penance. For immediately after the words: As
the Father hath sent me, etc.? St. John has added: When He
had said this, He breathed on them; and He said to them: Re
ceive ye the Holy Ghost? Since, then, it is the office of a
priest to absolve from sins, one of his principal obliga
tions is to qualify himself for that office, at least when
there is necessity, that he may not receive the reproach
contained in the words of St. Paul to his companions in
the priesthood: And we helping to exhort you* that you receive
not the grace of God in vain.6
Priests, as Venerable Bede writes, are destined by God
to be the salt of the earth, that they may preserve souls
from the corruption of sins.7 But if salt do not perform
the office of salt, it is fit only to be cast out of the house
of the Lord, and to be trodden by all.8
1 "Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos."— /<?/*;/, xx. 21.
2 " Ad ministranda Sacramenta idonei comprobentur." — Sess. 23,
cap. 14, de Kef.
3"Ideo posuit Ordinem in eo, ut quidam aliis Sacramenta tra-
derent." — Suppl. q. 34, a. i.
4 "Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos."— -John, xx. 21.
" Hser cum dixisset, insufflavit, et dixit eis: Accipite Spiritum
Sanctum; quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis." — Ibid. xx. 22.
" Adjuvantes autem, exhortamur ne in vacuum gratiam Dei reci-
piatis." — 2 Cor. vi. i.
"Ut sales, condiant animos ad corruptionis sanitatem."
"Vos estis sal terras. Quod si sal evanuerit, in quo salietur? ad
nihilum valet ultra, nisi ut mittatur foras, et conculcetur ab homini-
bus." — Matt. v. 13.
160 Material for Sermons. LPARTI.
Every priest, says St. John Chrysostom, is, as it were,
the father of the whole world, and therefore should have
care of all the souls to whose salvation he can co-operate
by his labors.1 Besides, priests are appointed by God
as physicians to cure every soul that is infirm; thus
Origen has called them " Physicians of souls," 2 and St.
Jerome, " Spiritual physicians." :i Hence St. Bonaventure
says, " If the physician flees from the sick, who will cure
them?"4
Priests are also called the walls of the Church: "The
Church has her walls," says St. Ambrose, " that is, her
apostolic men." ! And the author of the " Imperfect
Work" says, "Her walls are the priests."' They are
also called the stones that support the Church of God,7
and by St. Eucherius they are called the pillars that
sustain the tottering world.8 Finally, they are called by
St. Bernard the very house of God. Hence we may say
with St. John Chrysostom, that if a part of the house
fall, the injury may be easily repaired;9 but if the walls
fall, if the foundations and the pillars that sustain the
edifice give way; finally, if the whole house tumbles to
the ground, — how can the loss be ever repaired ? More
over, priests are called by the same St. John Chrysostom,
the husbandmen of the vineyard of the Lord.10 But, O
1 " Quasi totius orbis pater Sacerdos est; dignum igitur est ut om
nium curam agat, sicut et Deus, cujus fungitur vice." — In i Tim.
horn. 6.
5 "Medicos animarum."
3 "Medicos spirituales."
4 " Si medicus fugit aegrotos, quis curabit?" — De Sex Alls Scr. c. 5.
5 " Habet et Ecclesia muros suos." — In Ps. 118, s. 22.
6 " Muri illius sunt Sacerdotes." — Horn. 10.
7 " Lapides sanctuarii." — Lam. iv. i.
8 " Columnar sanctorum, merita Sacerdotum sunt, qui nutantis mundi
statum orationibus sustinent." — Horn, de Dcdic. eccl.
9 " Si pars domus fuerit corrupta, facilis est reparatio." — Horn. 47.
10 " Coloni populum, quasi vineam, colentes." — Horn. 40.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 161
God ! exclaims St. Bernard with tears, the husbandmen
sweat and labor the whole day in the cultivation of their
own vineyards.1 But what are the occupations of priests
whom God has appointed to cultivate his vineyard ?
They are, continues the saint, always corrupted with
idleness and worldly pleasures,2
The harvest is indeed great, but the laborers-are feu>.3 No :
the bishops and parish priests are not sufficient for the
spiritual wants of the people. If God had not destined
other priests to assist souls, he should not have suffi
ciently provided for his Church. St. Thomas 4 says that
the twelve apostles destined by Jesus Christ for the con
version of the world represented the bishops, and the
seventy-two disciples represented all priests ordained
for the salvation of souls, the fruit which the Redeemer
demands of his priests: I have chosen you that you should
go, and should bring forth fruit!" Hence St. Augustine
calls priests the administrators of the interests of
God.6 To priests has been intrusted the duty of ex
tirpating vice and pernicious maxims from the minds of
the people, and of infusing into them the virtues of the
Gospel and the maxims of eternity. On the day God
raises a man to the priesthood he says to him what he
said to Jeremiah: Lo, I have set thee thus over the nations^
and over kingdoms, to root up and pull down, and to waste
and to destroy, and to build and to plant.'1
I do not know how a priest can be excused from sin,
who sees the people of the district in grievous neces-
1 " Sudant agricolae, putant et fodiunt vinitores."
2 " Torpent otio, madent deliciis." — Declam. n. TO, n.
3 " Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci." — Matt. ix. 37.
4 2. 2, q. 184, a. 6.
5 " Posui vos, ut eatis et fructum afferatis." — John, xv. 16.
6 " Eorum quae Dei sunt negotiatores." — Ad Frat. in er. s. 36.
7 " Ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et super regna, ut evellas,
et destruas, et disperdas, et dissipes, et aedifices, et plantes." — Jer. i.
10.
1 62 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
sity, and is able to assist them by teaching the truths of
faith, or by preaching the divine word, and even by
hearing confessions, and through sloth neglects to give
them spiritual aid ? I know not, I say, how he can
escape on the day of judgment the reproof and chastise
ment threatened against the slothful servant who hid
the talent given to him, that he might trade with it. The
master gave him that talent that he might trade with it,
but he hid it; and when the master demanded an ac
count of -the profit he had received from it, he answered:
I hid thy talent in the earth ; behold, here thou hast that which
is thine.1 But for hiding the talent the master reproved
him, saying: What! I have given you a talent that you
might trade with it; this is the talent, but where are the
profits ? He then took the talent from him, commanded
it to be given to another, and ordered him to be cast
into exterior darkness: Take ye away therefore the talent
from him, and give it him that hath ten talents; . . . and the
unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness? To
be cast into exterior darkness means, according to the
commentators, to be sent into the fire of hell, which
gives no light, and to be excluded from heaven.
This passage is applied by St. Ambrose,3 Calmet,
Cornelius a Lapide, and Tirinus to those that can pro
cure the salvation of souls, and neglect to do it, either
through negligence or through a vain fear of commit-
ing sin. " This," says Father Cornelius, " is advice to
those who through indifference or a vain fear of sin
ning do not devote to the salvation of their neighbor
the lights, the talents that they receive from God; no
doubt Christ will ask of them an account on the day of
1 "Abscond! talentum tuum in terra; ecce habes quod tuum est." —
Matt. xxv. 25.
2 " Tollite itaque ab eo talentum, et date ei'qui habet decem talenta;
. . . et inutilem servum ejicite in tenebras exteriores."
3 De Dignit. sac. c. I.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 163
judgment."1 And St. Gregory says: "Hear! whoever
does not wish to employ his talents will be cast out by a
sentence of damnation." a Peter de Blois writes: " Who
ever employs God's gifts for the good of others deserves
to have a greater measure of what he already possesses;
but from him who hides the Lord's talent will be taken
what he seems to possess."1 St. John Chrysostom says
that he cannot conceive how a priest can be saved who
does nothing for the salvation of his neighbor.4 After
having mentioned the parable of the talent, he says that
for a priest the neglect of having employed the talent
given to him is criminal, and shall be the cause of his
damnation.5 Addressing those who say, " I am satisfied
if only I save my soul," ° St. Augustine says, " Do you
not recall to mind the servant who buried his talent ?"
St. Prosper says that to save his own soul it will not
be enough for a priest to lead a holy life, for he shall be
damned with those that are lost through his fault.7 In
one of the apostolical canons we read the following words:
" Notent hoc qui ingenio, doctrina, aliisque dotibus sibi a Deo
datis, non utuntur ad suam aliorumque salutem, ob desidiam vel me-
tum peccandi; ab his enim rationem exposcet Christus in die judicii."
— In Matt. 25, 1 8.
2 " Audiant quod talentum qui erogare noluit, cum sententia dam-
nationis amisit." — Past. p. 3, c. I. adm. 26.
3 "Qui Dei donum in utilitatem alienam communicat, plenius
meretur habere quod habet; qui autem talentum Domini abscondit,
quod videtur habere, auferetur ab eo." — DC Inst. Episc.
" Neque id mihi persuasi, salvum fieri quemquam posse, qui pro
proximi sui salute nihil laboris impendent."
" Neque juvabit talentum sibi traditum non imminuisse; immo hoc
ille nomine periit, quod non auxisset et duplicasset." — DC Sacerd. 1. 6.
"Sufficit mihi anima mea. Eia, non tibi venit in mentem servus
ille qui abscondit talentum." — In Jos. tr. 10.
"Ille cui dispensatio verbi commissa est, etiam si sancte vivat, et
tamen perdite viventes arguere, aut erubescat aut metuat, cum omni
bus qui eo tacente perierunt, peril; et quid ei proderit non puniri suo,
qui puniendus est alieno peccaio!"— De Vit. cont. 1. i, c. 20.
164 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
" The priest that does not take care of the clerics or of
the people should be punished, and if he perseveres in
his carelessness, let him be deposed." Why, says St.
Leo, should you take the honor of the priesthood if you
will not labor for the salvation of souls ?2 The Council
of Cologne declared that if a person take the Order of
priesthood without the intention of performing the
office of vicar of Jesus Christ, or of saving souls, a great
and certain chastisement is reserved for him, as for a
wolf and a robber, which he is called in the Gospel.3
St. Isidore does not hesitate to charge with mortal
sin the priest that neglects to instruct the ignorant and
to convert sinners.4 And St. John Chrysostom says,
" Not on account of their own, but on account of the
sins of others that they did not prevent, priests are
often condemned to hell." r' St. Thomas, speaking of
a simple priest, says that the priest that fails either
through negligence or ignorance to assist souls, renders
himself accountable to God for all the souls that are
lost through his fault/ St. John Chrysostom says the
same: " If priests take care only of their own souls, and
1 " Presbyter qui cleri vel populi curam non gerit, segregatur; et si
in secordia perseveret, deponatur." — Can. 57.
'2 "Qua conscientia honorem sibi debltum vendicant, qui pro ani-
mabus sibi creditis non laborant." — Ep. ad Ttirrib. c. 16.
3 " Sacerdotio initiandus non alio affectu accedere debet, quam ad
submittendos humeros publico muneri vice Christi in Ecclesia. Qui
alio affectu sacros Ordines ambiunt, hos Scriptura lupos et latrones
appellat. . . . Quod ingens ultio tandem certo subsequetur."
4 " Sacerdotes pro populorum iniquitate damnantur, si eos aut
ignorantes non erudiant aut peccantes non arguant." — Sent. 1. 3, c.
46.
5 " Snepe non damnantur propriis peccatis, sed alienis quae non
coercuerunt."
6 " Si enim Sacerdos, ex ignorantia vel negligentia, non exponat
populo viam salutis, reus erit apud Deum animarum illarum quse sub
ipso perierunt." — De Officio Sac.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 165
neglect the souls of others, they will be condemned to
hell with the damned." ]
A certain priest in Rome felt great fears at death for
his eternal salvation, although he had led a life of retire
ment and piety. Being asked why he was so much
afraid, he answered: " I am afraid, because I have not
labored for the salvation of souls." He had reason to
tremble, since the Lord employs priests to save souls,
and to rescue them from vice. Hence, if a priest do not
fulfil this duty, he must render to God an account of all
the souls that are lost through his fault: If when I say to
the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; thou declare it not to him,
nor speak to him, that he may be converted from his wicked
way ana live; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but
I will require his blood at thy hand? Thus, says St. Greg
ory, speaking of idle priests, they shall be accountable
before God for the souls whom they could assist, and
who are lost through their negligence.3
Jesus Christ has redeemed souls with the price of his
blood: For you are bought with a great price? But these
souls the Redeemer has intrusted to the care of priests.
Unhappy me, said St. Bernard, when he saw himself a
priest, if I be negligent in taking care of this deposit;
that is, of the souls whom the Redeemer considered to
be more precious than his own blood.5 Seculars have
to render an account of their own sins, but priests must
1 " Si Sacerdos suam tantum disposuerit salvare animam, et alienas
neglexerit, cum impiis detrudetur in gehennam."
2 "Si, dicente me adimpium: Morte morieris; — non annuntiaveris
ei, neque locutus fueris ut avertatur a via sua impia, et vivat, ipse
impius in iniquitate sua morietur, sanguinem autem ejus de manu tua
requiram." — Ezech. iii. 18.
" Ex tantis procul dubio rei sunt, quantis, venientes ad publicum,
prodesse potuerunt." — Past. p. i, c. 5.
4 " Empti enim estis pretio magno." — i Cor. vi. 20.
5 " Si depositum, quod sibi Christus sanguine proprio pretiosius
iudicavitx contigerit negligentius custodire." — In Adv* Dom* s. 3.
1 66 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
render an account of the sins of all, says the author of
the Imperfect Work.1 And before him the apostle said:
For they watch as being to render an account of your souls?
Thus the sins of others are imputed to the priest that
neglects to prevent them, says St. John Chrysostom.3
Hence St. Augustine has said: " If on the day of judg
ment one can scarcely render an account of one's own soul,
how will the priest fare if he has to render an account of
all sins?" 4 Speaking of those that become priests not to
save souls, but to secure a more comfortable means of
living, St. Bernard says, Oh, how much better would it
have been for them to labor in the field, or to beg, than
to have taken to the priesthood! On the day of judg
ment they shall hear complaints against them from so
many souls that have been damned through their sloth.5
II.
The Pleasure that a Priest who Labors for the Salvation of
Souls gives to God.
To understand how ardently God desires the salvation
of souls, it is enough to consider what he has done in
the work of the redemption of man. Jesus Christ clearly
expressed this desire when he said: / have a baptism,
wherewith I am to be baptized ; and how am I straitened until
it be accomplished? He said that he felt as if swooning
1 " Unusquisque pro suo peccato reddet rationem; Sacerdotes, pro
omnium peccatis." — Horn. 38.
2 " Ipsi enim pervigilant, quasi rationem pro animabus vestris red-
dituri." — Heb. xiii. 17.
3 " Quod alii peccant, illi imputatur." — In Act. horn. 3.
4 "Si pro se unusquisque vix poterit, in die judicii, rationem red-
dere, quid de Sacerdotibus futurum est, a quibus sunt omnium animse
requirendre? ' — Serm. 287, R. B. app.
6 " Bonum erat magis fodere, aut etiam mendicare, Venient, veni-
ent ante tribunal Christi; audietur populorum querela, quorum vixere
stipendiis, nee diluerunt peccata !" — Declam. n. 19.
6 " Baptismo autem habeo baptizari; et quomodo coarctor usque-
dum perficiatur ?." — Luke, xii. 5Ov.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 167
away through the ardor with which he wished to see the
work of redemption accomplished, that men might be
saved. From this St. John Chrysostom justly infers,
that there is nothing more acceptable to God than the
salvation of souls.1 And before him St. Justin said:
" Nothing is so pleasing to God as to labor to make
others better."2 Our Lord once said to Bernard Col-
nado, a priest who had labored much for the conversion
of sinners: " Labor for the salvation of sinners, for this
is what is most pleasing to me.": This is so dear to
God, adds Clement of Alexandria, that the salvation of
men appears to be his sole concern.4 Hence, addressing
a priest, St. Laurence Justinian said: "If you wish to
honor God, you can do no better than labor in behalf
of the salvation of souls." '
St. Bernard says that in the eyes of God a soul is
more valuable than the whole world.6 Hence, accord
ing to St. John Chrysostom, a person pleases God more
by converting a single soul than by giving all his goods,
to the poor.7 Tertullian asserts that to God the sal
vation of a single sheep that has strayed away, is as dear
as the salvation of the entire flock.8 Hence the Apostle
1 " Nihil itagratum Deo, et ita curse, ut animarum salus." — In Gen.
horn. 3.
2 "Nihil tam Deo gratum, quam operam dare ut omnes reddantur
meliores."
3 " Labora pro salute peccatorum; hoc enim prae omnibus est mihi
carissimum."
4 " Nihil aliud est Domino curae, praeterquam hoc solum opus, ut
homo salvus fiat." — Oral, ad Gentes.
5 " Si Deum honorare conaris, non aliter melius. quam in hominis
salute, poteris actitare." — DC Compunct. p. 2.
6 " Totus iste mundus ad unius animas pretium aestimari non po-
test." — Medit. c. 3.
7 " Etsi ingentes erogaveris pecunias, plus efficieris, si unam con-
verteris animam." — In I Cor. horn. 3.
8 "Erat una pastoris ovicula; sed grex una carior non erat." — De
r<Knit.
1 68 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
said: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and
delivered Himself up for me.1 By these words he signified
that Jesus Christ would have died as soon for a single
soul as for the salvation of all men, says St. John Chry-
sostom in his comment on this passage.2 This our Re
deemer gave us to understand by the parable of the groat
that had been lost. On this parable St. Thomas writes:
" He calls together all the angels, not that all men, but
that he himself may be congratulated on account of
the groat that was found, as if man were God's God, as
if his salvation depended on man's finding him, and as if
God could not be happy "without him.'' ;
It is related by several authors* of St. Carpus, Bishop,
that he had a vision in which he seemed to see a scandal
ous sinner who had induced an innocent person to com
mit sin, and that he felt himself impelled by zeal to
throw him into a precipice on the brink of which he
stood, but Jesus Christ appeared to support the sinner
with his hand, and said to St. Carpus: " Strike me, for I
am ready again to die for sinners."' As if he said:
Hold, strike me rather than this sinner; for I have given
my life for him, and am ready to give it again to save
him from perdition.
The ecclesiastical spirit, says Louis Habert,5 consists
1 " Dilexit me, et tradidit semetipsum pro me." — Gal. ii. 20.
8 " Neque enim recusaturus esset vel ob unum hominem tantam
exhibere dispensationem."
3 " Omnes Angelos convocat ad congratulandum non homini, sed
sibi, quasi homo Dei Deus esset, et tota salus divina ab ipsius in-
ventione dependeret, et quasi sine ipso beatus esse non posset." — De
Beat. c. 7.
4 " Percute me, quia iterum pro peccatoribus mori paratus sum."
5 " Essentialiter consistit in ardenti studio promovendi gloriam Dei
et salutem proximi." — De Sacr. Ord. p. 3, c. 5.
* The first of these authors is St. Denis the Areopagite (Ep. ad
Demoph.}, and it is believed that St. Carpus, who had this vision, is
the one of v*h<Ma> SU Paul speaks in 2. Tim. iv. 13. — ED.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. \ 69
precisely in an ardent zeal for promoting the glory of
God, and the salvation of our neighbor. Hence, accord
ing to Natalis Alexander, they that wish to attend only
to themselves, and not toothers, should not be admitted
to the priesthood.1 The Lord commanded2 that the
priests of the Old Law should wear vestments covered
all over with certain circles, which resembled eyes, to
show, as a certain author says, that the priest should be
all eyes to attend to the sanctification of the people.
St. Augustine says that zeal for the salvation of souls
and for the promotion of divine love in all men springs
from love. Then, adds the saint, he that has not zeal,
shows that he does not love God; and he that does not
love God is lost.3 He that watches over his own soul
pleases God; but he that watches over the souls of his
neighbors, pleases him still more, says St. Bernard.4
God, says St. John Chrysostom, has no better proof
of the fidelity and affection of a soul than in seeing her
zealous for the welfare of her neighbor.5 The Saviour
three times asked St. Peter if he loved him: Simon, son
of John, lovest thou Me ? 6 When assured of Peter's love,
Jesus Christ asked him to do nothing else in proof of
his love than to take care of souls: He said to him: Feed
My sheep} On this passage St. John Chrysostom says:
" The Lord might have said, If you love me, cast away
1 " Quis ferat presbyterum ordinari, ut sibi tantum vacet, et non
aliis ?"— De Ord. c. 3, a. 5, reg. 22.
2 Exod. xxviii.
3 " Zelus est effectus amoris; ergo, qui non zelat, non amat; qui non
amat, manet in morte."
4 " Tu quidem, in tui custodia vigilans, bene facis; sed, qui juvat
multos, melius facit." — In Cant. s. 12.
5 " Nihil adeo declarat quis sit fidelis et amans Christi, quam si
fratrum curam agat; hoc maximum amicitise argumentum est." —
Serm. de B. Philog.
^ 6 "Simon Joannis, amas me?" — John,xxi. 17.
7 " Pasce oves meas/'
1 70 Material for Sermons. [PART i
money, practise strict fast, sleep on the hard floor, and
macerate yourself by hard labor. But no; he says, Feed
my sheep."1 On the word my, St. Augustine remarks
that our Lord wished to say: " Feed them as my sheep,
not as thine; seek in them my glory, not thine; my
profit, not thine." 2 In these words the saint has taught
that he that desires to labor for the salvation of souls
should seek neither his own glory nor his own gain, but
only the advancement of the divine glory.
After reading the lives of the holy martyrs, and of the
holy workmen in God's vineyard, St. Teresa3 said that
she envied the latter more than the former, on account
of the great glory which they that labor for the con
version of sinners give to God. St. Catharine of Sienna
used to kiss the ground that had been trodden by priests
employed in saving souls. Such was her zeal for the
salvation of sinners, that she desired to be placed at the
mouth of hell, that no soul might enter into that land
of torment. And what do we, who are priests, say ?
What do we do ? We see so many souls perish, and
shall we remain idle spectators of their perdition ?
St. Paul said that to obtain the salvation of his neigh
bors he would have consented to be separated from Jesus
Christ, that is, according to commentators, for a time:
For I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ, for my
brethren? St. John Chrysostom desired to be blind, pro
vided the souls under his care were converted.5 St.
1 " Poterat dicere: Si amas me, abjice pecunias, jejunia exerce,
raacera te laboribus. Nunc vero ait: ' Pasce oves meas.' " — Serm. de
B. Philog.
2 " Sicut meas pasce, non sicut tuas; gloriam meam in eis quaere,
non tuam; lucra mea, non tua." — /;/ Jo. tr. 123.
3 Found, ch. i.
4 " Optabam enim ego ipse anathema esse a Christo pro fratribus
meis." — Rom. ix. 3.
5 " Millies optarem ipse exsecrabilis esse, si per hoc liceret animas
vestras convertere." — In Act. horn. 3.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. \ 7 1
Bonaventure declared that he would have accepted as
many deaths as there are sinners in the world, that all
might be saved.1 During a winter which he spent
among the heretics of Chablais, St. Francis de Sales
used to creep over a river on a beam of ice, with great
risk and inconvenience to himself, in order to preach to
them. Being in Naples during the great revolution of
1647 and seeing the great loss of souls which it caused,
St. Cajetan felt so intense a sorrow that he died of grief.
St. Ignatius used to say that he would rather live un
certain of his eternal lot than die with a certainty of
salvation, provided he could continue to assist souls.
Behold the zeal for souls which animated priests that
loved God! And still, in order to avoid a trifling in
convenience, or through fear of illness, some even among
those that are charged with the care of souls withhold
the aid of their ministry. St. Charles Borromeo used to
say, that a pastor of souls, who wishes to have every
convenience, and to take all the precautions that may
be useful to health, will never be able to fulfil his
duties. Hence he would add, that a parish priest should
not go to bed till after the third paroxysm of fever.
He that truly loves God, says St. Augustine,2 does
everything in his power to draw all to his love, and can
say with David: O magnify the Lord with me; and let us
extol His name together? He goes in every direction:
exhorting in the pulpit and in the confessional, in the
public places and in private houses, saying, Brethren,
let us love God, let us praise his name, in words and
works.
1 Stim. div. am. p. 2, c. 1 1.
2 " Si amatis Deum, rapite omnes ad amorem Dei." — In Ps. 53, en. 1.
3 " Magnificate Dominum mecum, et exaltemus nomen ejus in idip-
sum." — Ps. xxxiii. 4.
172 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
ill.
How Secure the Priest who Labors for the Salvation of Souls
Renders his own Salvation, and how Great the Reward
that he shall receive in Heaven.
The priest who has labored for the salvation of souls
can hardly die a bad death. When thou shalt pour out,
says the prophet Isaias, thy soul to the hungry, and shalt
satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up in dark
ness. . . . Ana the Lord will give thee rest continually, and
will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones.1 If
you have spent your life in assisting a soul in need, and
have consoled her in her afflictions, in the darkness of
your temporal death, the Lord shall fill you with light,
and shall deliver you from eternal death. This was the
doctrine of St. Augustine: " In saving a soul thou hast
predestined your own," says the holy Doctor.2 And,
long before, the apostle St. James said: He must know,
that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of
his way, shall save his soul (that is, his own soul, as appears
from the Greek text) from death, and shall cover a multitude
of sins?
A priest of the Society of Jesus, who during life devoted
a great deal of time to the conversion of sinners, died
with joy and confidence of salvation; this some con
sidered to be excessive. Hence he was told that at death
we should entertain sentiments of fear as well as of confi
dence. He answered: Have I served Mahomet? I have
served a God who is so grateful and faithful; why, then,
should I fear? When St. Ignatius of Loyola declared
1 " Cum effuderis animam tuam, et animam afflictam repleveris, orie-
tur in tenebris lux tua; . . . et requiem tibi dabit Dominus semper, et
implebit splendoribus animam tuam, et ossa tua liberabit." — Is. Iviii. 10.
2 "Animam salvasti, animam tuam praedestinasti."
3 " Qui convert! fecerit peccatorem ab errore viae suse, salvabit animam
ejus a morte, et operiet mulutudinem peccatorum. " — James, v. 20.
CHAP, ix.i The Zeal of the Priest. 173
that in order to assist souls he would remain on earth
in an uncertainty about his salvation, though he was
certain that by dying he should be saved, a person said:
"But, Father, it is not prudent to expose your own soul
to danger for the salvation of others." The saint replied,
" Is God a tyrant, who, after seeing me risk my salvation
in order to gain souls, would send me to hell ?"
After having saved the Jews from the hands of the
Philistines, by the victory that he won with so much
personal danger, Jonathan was condemned to death by
Saul for having, contrary to "his orders, eaten a little
honey But the people cried out, Shall Jonathan then
die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? l Why,
O king, said they, should Jonathan be put to death after
having saved us all from destruction ? Thus they ob
tained his pardon. The priest who has saved souls may
well expect a similar reward on the day of his death.
These souls shall come and say to Jesus Christ: Wilt
Thou, O Lord, send to hell the priest who has delivered
us from eternal misery ? And if Saul remitted the
punishment of death at the prayers of the people, surely
God will not refuse to pardon such a priest for the
prayers of the souls that are his friends in heaven.
Priests who have labored for the salvation of souls shall
hear from God himself the announcement of eternal
rest: From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may
rest from their labors? Oh ! what consolation and confi
dence shall the remembrance of having gained a soul to
Jesus Christ infuse at the hour of death ! As repose is
sweet to him who is oppressed with fatigue, — Sleep is
sweet to a laboring man? — so death is sweet to a priest
who has labored for God.
1 " Erg-one Jonathas morietur, qui fecit salutem hanc magnam in Is
rael ?" — i Kings, xiv. 45.
2 " Amodo jam dicit spiritus, ut requiescant a laboribus suis; opera
enim illomm sequuntur illos." — Apoc. xiv. 13.
3 " Dulcis est somnus operand." — Eccles. v. n.
1 74 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
St. Gregory says that the more souls a sinner shall
have converted from their sins, the sooner he shall be
absolved from his own transgressions.1 He that has the
good fortune of being employed in converting sinners
has a great mark of predestination, and of being written
in the book of life. This the Apostle insinuated when,
in speaking of those that assisted him in the conversion
of nations, he said: / entreat thee also, my sincere com
panion, help those women that have labored with me in the
Gospel with Clement and the rest of my fellow-laborers, whose
names are (mark these words) in the book of life?
With regard to the great reward that priests who
labor for souls shall receive, Daniel said: They shall
shine . . . as the brightness of the firmament : and they that
instruct many to justice, as stars for all eternity.3' As we
now see the stars shine in the firmament, so the priest
who converts souls to God shall shine among the blessed
in the empyreal heaven with a brilliant light of glory.
If, says St. Gregory, he that rescues a man from temporal
death deserves a great reward, how much greater shall
be the recompense of a priest who delivers a soul from
eternal death, and brings her to eternal life ! ' And
before him our Saviour said: But he that shall do and
teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.*
How great shall be the chastisement in hell of a damned
1 " Tanto celerius quisque a suis peccatis absolvitur, quanto, per ejus
vitam et linguam, aliorum animae solvuntur."
2 " Etiam rogo et te, germane compar: adjuva illas quae mecum
laboraverunt in Evangelic, cum Clemente et caeteris adjutoribus meis,
quorum nomina sunt in Libro vitae." — Phil, iv. 3.
3 " Fulgebunt, . . . qui ad justitiam erudiunt multos, quasi stellae in
perpetuas aeternitates." — Dan. xii. 3.
4 " Si magnae mercedis est a morte eripere carnem quandoque mori-
turam, quanti est meriti a morte animam liberare sine fine victuram !" —
Mor. \. 19, c. 1 6.
6 "Qui autem fecerit et docuerit, hie magnus vocabitur in regno
coelorum." — Matt. v. 19.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 175
priest who by his scandals has perverted many souls !
On the other hand, will not God, whose liberality in
rewarding virtue surpasses his severity in punishing
vice, give great glory in heaven to the good priest who
by his labors shall have gained many souls ?
St. Paul placed the hope of his eternal crown in the
salvation of those whom he had converted to God, and
trusted that they should procure for him a great recom
pense for eternity: For what is our hope, or joy, or crown
of glory ? Are not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ at His coming ? ' St. Gregory says that a priest
who works in the Lord's vineyard obtains as many
crowns as he gains souls to God.2 We read in the
Canticles, Come from Libanus, My spouse, come from Liba-
nus, come: thou shalt be crowned? Behold the promise of
the Lord to him who is employed in the conversion of sin
ners — the souls that were once wild beasts and monsters
of hell, but were afterwards converted and became dear
to God, shall be so many gems adorning the crown of
the priest who has brought them back to the path of
virtue. A priest who is damned does not go to hell
alone, and the priest that is saved is certainly not saved
alone. When St. Philip Neri died and went to heaven,
the Lord sent to meet him all the souls that he had
saved. The same is related of that great servant of
God, Brother Cherubim of Spoleto. He was seen enter
ing heaven accompanied by many thousands of souls
that had been saved by his labors. It is also related of
the Venerable Father Louis la Nuza, that he was seen in
heaven sitting on a lofty throne, at the foot of which
were seated all the souls that he had converted.
1 " Quae enim nostra spes, aut gaudium, aut corona gloriae ? Nonne
vos ante Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum estis in adventu ejus ?" — I
77iess. ii. 19.
2 " Tot coronas sibi multiplicat, quot Deo animas lucrifacit."
" Veni de Libano, sponsa mea, veni de Libano, veni; coronaberis
. . . de cubilibus leonum, de montibus pardorum." — Cant, iv. 8.
1 76 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
The poor husbandman suffers toils and sweats in sow
ing and cultivating the ground, and in reaping the crop;
but all his labors are superabundantly compensated by
the joy of the harvest. Going, they went and wept, casting
their seeds; but coming, they shall come with joy fulness, carry
ing their sheaves.1 It is true that in the work of bringing
souls to God many pains and labors are endured; but
the laborer shall be recompensed with immense super
abundance by the joy that he shall feel in presenting to
Jesus Christ in the valley of Josaphat all the souls he
had saved.
Nor should the priest who labors without success to
bring souls to God be disheartened, nor turned away
from so noble a work. Beloved priest, says St. Bernard,
be not discouraged by your want of success, but rest
secure of the reward that awaits you. God does not
require of you to save souls: labor for their salvation,
and he will reward you, not in proportion to your suc
cess, but according to the toils you have endured.2 St.
Bonaventure confirms this doctrine, and says that a
priest shall not merit less for those that draw little or
no profit from his labors, than from the souls that reap
great benefit from them.5 The same saint adds, that the
husbandman who cultivates the barren and rocky soil
merits a greater reward though he reaps less fruit.4 He
" Euntes ibant et flebant, mittentes semina sua; venientes autem
venient cum exsultatione, portantes manipulos suos." — Ps. cxxv. 6.
2 " Noli diffidere; curam exigeris, non curationem. Denique audisti*
'Curam illius habe' (Luke, x. 35); et non: Cura, vel Sana ilium; — quia
unusquisque secundum suum laborem accipiet (i Cor. iii. 8), et non
secundum proventum; reddet Deus mercedem laborum (Wisd. x. 17)
sanctorum suorum." — De Cons. 1. 4, c. 2.
3 " Non minus meretur in illis qui deficiunt vel modicum proficiunt,
quam in his qui maxime proficiunt; non enim dixit Apostolus (i Cor.
iii. 8) : Unusquisque propriam mercedem accipiet secundum suum pro-
fectum; sed, secundum suum laborem."
4 " In terra sterili et saxosa, etsi fructus paucior, sed pretium majus."
— De Sex Alls Ser. c. 5.
CHAP, ix.i The Zeal of the Priest. \ 77
meant to say, that a priest who endeavors, though with
out success, to bring back an obstinate sinner to God
shall have a greater reward, because his labor is greater.
IV.
The End, the Means, and the Labors of the Priest who has
Zeal.
i. THE END TO BE PROPOSED.
If we wish to receive from God the reward of our
labors for the salvation of souls, we must do all not
through human respect, nor for our own honor or tem
poral gain, but only for God and for his glory; other
wise, instead of a reward we shall receive punishment.
Great should be our folly, says St. Joseph Calasanctius,
were we to seek from men a temporal remuneration for
our labors. The office of saving souls, says St. Bernard,
is in itself very dangerous, since we shall have once to
render an account of the actions of others.1 And St.
Gregory writes: "The priest possesses as many souls as
he is instructing subjects."'' With the divine aid we
shall be able to avoid sin and merit a reward in the work
of saving others; but he who performs this work for any
other end than to please God, shall be abandoned by
God; and without the divine assistance, how shall he be
able to avoid sin ? And how, says St. Bonaventure, shall
they avoid sin who " receive holy Orders, seeking not
the salvation of souls, but temporal gain," 3 or whose
motive, as St. Prosper says, is not to become better, but
1 " Maximum periculum de factis alterius rationem reddere." — In Heb.
c. 13, lect. 3.
2"Quot regendis subditis praeest, reddendae apud eum (Christum
Judicem) rationis tempore, ut itadicam, tot solus animas habet. " — Mor.
1. 24, c. 30.
3 " Ad sacros Ordines accedunt, non salutem animarum, sed quaestum
pecuniarum qu?srentes." — De Pra-p. ad M. c. 8.
12
1 78 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
richer: not more holy, but more honored ?' When, says
Peter de Blois, there is question of obtaining a benefice,
do persons ask how many souls may be gained, or do
they not inquire rather about the amount of its reve
nues?2 Many, says the Apostle, seek the things that are
their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's? O execrable
abuse, says Father John d'Avila, to make heaven sub
ordinate to earth ! St. Bernard observes that when our
Lord intrusted his sheep to St. Peter he said: "Feed
my sheep; do not milk nor shear them."' The author
of the Imperfect Work says : " We have been hired as
day-laborers; and just as no one hires a day-laborer only
for the purpose of eating, so Jesus Christ has not called
us to labor only for our own profit, but for God's glory." 5
Hence St. Gregory says of priests, " Priests should not
rejoice that they precede others but that they can be
useful to them."6
The glory of God, then, must be the sole end of the
priest who labors for souls.
2. MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED.
With regard to the means that a priest should adopt
in order to gain souls to the Lord:
I. The priest must above all attend to the perfection
of his own soul. The sanctity of the priest is the prin-
1 " Non ut meliores, sed ut ditiores; nee ut sanctiores, sed ut honora-
tiores sint?" — De Vita cont. 1. i, c. 21.
2 " Hodie, in promotione quorumdam, prima quaestio est. quae sit
summa reddituum, non quae sit conversatio subjectorum." — Epist. 15.
3 " Quae suasunt, quaerunt, non quae sunt Jesu Christi." — Phil. ii. 21.
4 " ' Pasce oves meas;' nee Mulge, sen Tonde." — Dcclam. n. 12.
5 " Mercenarii sumus conduct!; sicut ergo nemo conducit mercena-
rium ut solum manducet, sic et nos, non ideo vocati sumus a Christo
ut solum operemur quae ad nostrum pertinent usum, sed ad gloriam
Dei." — Horn. 34.
6 "Nee praeesse se hominibus gaudeant, sed prodesse." — Past. p. 2,
c. 6.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 1 79
cipal means of converting sinners. St. Eucherius says
that priests by the power of their sanctity sustain the
world.1 The priest, as mediator, is charged with the
office of making peace between God and men, says St.
Thomas.2 But he who is a mediator must not be hate
ful to the person before whom he has to intercede;
otherwise, he will increase his wrath, says St. Gregory.3
Hence the saint adds, " Pure must be the hand of the one
that wishes to cleanse others of their stains."4 Hence
St. Bernard concludes that a priest, in order to be fit to
convert sinners, must first purify his own conscience and
afterwards the conscience of others.5 St. Philip Neri
used to say, give me ten zealous priests and I will con
vert the whole world. What did not a solitary St.
Francis Xavier do in the East ? It is related that he
alone converted ten millions of pagans to the faith.
What did not a St. Patrick, a St. Vincent Ferrer, do in
Europe ? A single priest of moderate learning, who
loves God ardently, will convert more souls to God than
a hundred priests of great learning and little zeal.
II. He who wishes to reap an abundant harvest of
souls must devote a good deal of time to mental prayer.
In prayer he must first receive from God sentiments of
piety, and afterwards communicate them to others:
That which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the house
tops? It is necessary, says St. Bernard, to be first a
1 " Hi onus totius orbis portant humeris sanctitatis." — Horn, de Dedic.
ecd.
'2 " Ad mediatoris officium proprie pertinet conjungere eos interquos
est mediator." — P. 3, q. 26, a. I.
3 "Cum is qui displicet, ad intercedendum mittitur, irati animus ad
deteriora provocatur." — Past. p. i.e. n.
4 " Necesse est ut esse munda studeat manus, quae diluere aliorum
sordes curat." — Past. p. 2, c. 2.
5 " Rectus ordo postulat ut prius propriam, deinde alienas curare
studeas conscientias." — Epist. 8.
6 " Quod in aure auditis, predicate super tecta." — Matt. x. 27.
1 80 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
reservoir and then a canal.1 The saints have converted
more souls by their prayers than by their labors.
3. WORKS OF A ZEALOUS PRIEST.
The works in which a zealous priest should be em
ployed are:
I. The correction of sinners. Priests who see insults
offered to God and remain silent are called by Isaias
mute dogs? But to these mute dogs shall be imputed all
the sins that they could have but have not prevented.
"Do not be silent," says Alcuin, "lest the sins of the
people be ascribed to you." : Some priests abstain from
reproving sinners because they do not wish to disturb
their peace of mind; but, says St. Gregory, for this
peace that they desire, they shall miserably lose peace
with God.4 An animal falls, exclaims St. Bernard, and
many are found to lift it; a souls falls, and no one is
found to raise her up.5 Yes, sinners are not converted,
although, according to St. Gregory, priests are specially
appointed by God to point out the path of virtue to
those who go astray/' Hence St. Leo adds: " The priest
who does not withdraw another from error proves that
he is himself involved in it."7 St. Gregory writes that
we kill as many souls as we see committing sin without
endeavoring to apply a remedy.8
1 " Concham te exhibebis, non canalem. Canales hodie in Ecclesia
multos habemus, conchas vero perpaucas." — In Cant. s. 18.
2 " Canes muti, non valentes latrare." — Is. Ivi. 10.
3 " Nolite tacere, ne populi peccata vobis imputentur." — Epist. 28.
4 " Dum pacem desiderant, pravos mores nequaquam redarguunt; et
consentiendo perversis, ab Auctoris sui se pace disjungunt." — Past. p.
3, c. i, adm. 23.
5 " Cadit asina, et est qui sublevet earn; perit anima, et nemo est
qui reputet."— De Cons. 1. 4, c. 6.
6 " Eligitur viam erranti demonstrate." — Epist. 1. 7, ind. 2, ep. no.
" Sacerdos qui alium ab errore non revocat, seipsum errare demon-
strat." — Ep. ad Tttrrib. c. 15,
8 ' ' Nos qui Sacerdotes vocamur, tot occidimus, quot ad mortem ire
quotidie tepide videmus. " — In Ezech. horn. n.
CHAP, ix.] The Zeal of the Priest. 181
II. A zealous priest ought to be employed in preach
ing. By preaching, the world has been, as the Apostle
says, converted to the faith of Jesus Christ: Faith
cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ.1 And
by preaching, the faith and the fear of God are pre
served in the hearts of the faithful. Priests who feel
themselves unable to preach should at least endeavor
as often as possible, in their conversation with friends or
relatives, to edify by words of edification, by relating
examples of virtues practised by the saints, by incul
cating some maxim of eternity, by impressing on them
the vanity of the world, the importance of salvation, the
certainty of death, the peace enjoyed by those who are
in the grace of God, or some similar truths.
III. The priest should be occupied in assisting the
dying, which is a work of charity most dear to God, and
most conducive to the salvation of souls; for the dying
are more strongly tempted by the devils, and are less
able to assist themselves. St. Philip Neri frequently
saw angels suggesting words to priests who were attend
ing dying persons. For parish priests this work is an
obligation of justice, but for every priest it is a duty of
charity. It may be performed with advantage by every
priest, even by those who have not talent for preaching.
In attending the sick, a priest may be of great service to
their friends and relatives. That is the fittest time for
spiritual discourses. On such an occasion it is even un
becoming in a priest to speak of anything but of God
and of spiritual things. But let it be remembered that
he who performs this office must use great caution, that
he may not be an occasion of ruin to himself or others.
Moreover, he who cannot preach should at least labor
in teaching the Christian doctrine to the children and
the poor, many of whom in the rural districts, in conse-
1 " Fides ex auditu; auditus autem per verbum Christi." — Rom.yi. 17.
1 82 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
quence of not being able to go often to the church, live
in ignorance of even the principal mysteries of faith.
IV. Lastly, it is necessary to be persuaded that the
work which is most conducive to the salvation of souls
is the administration of the sacrament of penance. The
Venerable Louis Fiorillo, of the Order of St. Dominic,
used to say^ that by preaching the priest casts out the
net, but by hearing confessions he draws it ashore and
takes the fish. But some may say this is a very perilous
office. There is no doubt, dearly beloved priest, says
St. Bernard, that to become the judge of consciences
is attended with much danger; but you shall fall into
greater danger if through sloth or excessive fear you
neglect to fulfil this office when God calls you to it.
"Woe to you," says the same saint, "if you are a Supe
rior! But a greater woe to you if through fear of com
manding you shrink from doing good." J We have
already spoken 2 of the obligation of every priest to em
ploy the talent that God has given him that he may save
souls; and we have already said that at his ordination a
priest is destined in a special manner for the administra
tion of the sacrament of penance. But you may say
that you are not qualified for this office, because you
have not studied theology. But do you not know that a
priest is bound to study ? The lips of the priest shall keep
knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth? If you
did not intend to study in order to be able to assist your
neighbor, why did you become a priest? Who, says the
Lord, asked you to take holy Orders ? Who required
these things at your hands that you should walk in My courts ? 4
1 " Vae tibi, si praees; sed vae gravius, si, quia praeesse metuis, pro-
desse refugis!" — Epist, 86.
2 Page 158.
3 " Labia enim Sacerdotis custodient scientiam, et legem requirent ex
ore ejus." — Mai. ii. 7.
4 " Quis quassivit haec de manibus vestris, ut ambularetis in atriis
meis?" — Is. i. 12.
CHAP, ix.j The Zeal of the Priest. 183
Who, asks St. John Chrysostom, has forced you to be
come a priest ? ' Before your ofdination, adds the saint,
you ought to have examined your fitness for this duty;
but now that you are a priest you must work and not
examine; and if you are not fit for the work, you must
qualify yourself for it.2 To excuse yourself now on the
ground of ignorance, continues the holy Doctor, is to
excuse one sin by another.3 Some priests read many
useless books, and neglect to study the science that may
enable them to save souls. St. Prosper says that such
priests violate justice.4
In fine, it is necessary to be persuaded that the priest
should seek nothing but the glory of God and salvation
of souls. Hence St. Sylvester ordained that with regard
to ecclesiastics the days of the week should be called by
no other name than that of Fcrice, or vacant days.5 The
Gentiles themselves used to say that priests should
attend only to the things of God, and therefore they
forbade their priests to exercise the office of magistrates,
that they might be entirely devoted to the worship of
their gods. After he had been appointed by God to
promote his honor, and the observance of his law, Moses
spent a good deal of his time in settling disputes.
Jethro justly reproved him, saying: Thou art spent with
foolish labor. . . . Be thou to the people in those things that
1 " Quisnam ad id te coegit?" — De Sacerd. 1. 4.
2 " Tempus nunc agendi, non consultandi. "
3 " Neque licet ad ignorantiam confugere, quandoquidem qui dele-
gatus est ut aliorum emendet ignorantiam, is ignorantiam praetendere
minime poterit; hoc nomine supplicium nulla excusatione poterit de-
pellere, quamvis unius dumtaxat animae jactura accident." — De Sacerd.
1. 6.
4 " Contra justitiam faciunt, qui otiosum studium fructuosae utilitati
regendae multitudinis anteponunt." — De Vita cont. 1. 3, c. 28.
5 "Quotldie clericos, abjecta caeterarum rerum cura, uni Deo prorsus
vacare debere." — Breviar. 31 Dec.
1 84 Material for Sermons. [PART i
pertain to God.1 Before you were ordained priest, says
St. Athanasius, you might devote yourself to any occu
pation you wished, but now that you are a priest, you
must be employed in the fulfilment of the office for
which you are destined.2 And what is the nature of
this office ? One of its principal duties is, as we have
shown, to labor for the salvation of souls. This doc
trine is confirmed by St. Prosper, who says: " To priests
properly belong the care of saving souls." :
1 " Stulto labore consumeris. . . . Esto tu populo in his quae ad
Deum pertinent." — Exod. xviii. 18.
2 " Id scire oportet, te, priusquam ordinabaris, tibi vixisse; ordina-
tum autem, illis quibus ordinatus est." — Ep. ad Dracont.
3 " Sacerdotibus proprie animarum curandarum sollicitudo commissa
est." — De Vita cont. 1. 2., c. 2.
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 185
CHAPTER X.
THE VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD.
I.
Necessity of a Divine Vocation to take Holy Orders.
To enter any state of life, a divine vocation is neces
sary; for without such a vocation it is, if not impossible,
at least most difficult to fulfil the obligations of our state,
and obtain salvation. But if for all states a vocation is
necessary, it is necessary in a particular manner for the
ecclesiastical state. He that entercth not by the door into the
sheep/old, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and
a robber.1 Hence he who takes holy orders without a
call from God is convicted of theft, in taking by force
a dignity which God does not wish to bestow upon him.2
And before him St. Paul said the same thing: Neither
doth any man take the honor to him self, but he that is called by
God, as Aaron was. So Christ also did not glorify Himself
that He might be made a high priest ; but he that said unto
Him : Thou art My Son ; this day I have begotten Thee?
No one, then, however learned, prudent, and holy he
may be, can thrust himself into the sanctuary unless he is
first called and introduced by God. Jesus Christ him
self, who among all men was certainly the most learned
" Qui non intrat per ostium in ovile ovium, sed ascendit aliunde,
ille fur est et latro."— John, x. i.
" Latrones et fures appellat eos qui se ultro, ad non sibi datam
desuper gratiam, obtrudunt." — In Jo. x. 10.
"Nee quisquam sumit sibi honorem, sed qui vocatur a Deo tam-
quam Aaron. Sic et Christus non semetipsum clarificavit ut pontifex
fieret; sed qui locutus est ad eum. Filius meus es tu." — Heb. v. 4, 5.
1 86 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
and the most holy, full of grace and truth,1 in whom are
hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? — Jesus
Christ, I say, required a divine call in order to assume
the dignity of the priesthood.
In entering the sanctuary, even after God himself had
called them to it, the saints trembled. When his bishop
ordered St. Augustine to receive ordination, the saint
through humility regarded the command as a chastise
ment of his sins.3 To escape the priesthood St. Ephrem
of Syria feigned madness; and St. Ambrose pretended
to be a man of a cruel disposition.
To avoid the priesthood, St. Ammonius the Monk cut
off his ears, and threatened to pluck out his tongue, if
the persons who pressed him to take holy orders should
continue to molest him. In a word, St. Cyril of Alexan
dria says, " The saints have dreaded the dignity of the
priesthood as a burden of enormous weight.'" Can
any one, then, says St. Cyprian, be so daring as to at
tempt of himself, and without a divine call, to assume
the priesthood ? 5
As a vassal who would of himself take the office of
minister should violate the authority of his sovereign,
so he who intrudes himself into the sanctuary without a
vocation violates the authority of God. How great
should be the temerity of the subject who, without the
appointment, and even in opposition to the will of the
monarch, should attempt to administer the royal patri
mony, to decide lawsuits, to command the army, and to
assume the viceregal authority ! " Among you," asks
1 "Plenum gratiae et veritatis."— -John, \. 14.
2 " In quo sunt omnes thesauri sapientise et scientiae absconditi." —
Col. ii. 3.
3 " Vis mihi facta est merito peccatorum meorum." — Epist. 21, E. B.
4 "Omnes sanctos reperio divini ministerii ingentem veluti molem
formidantes." — De Fest. pasch. horn. I.
5 " Ita est aliquis sacrilegae temeritatis, ac perditse mentis, ut putet
sine Dei judicio fieri sacerdotem?" — Epist. 55..
CHAP, x.j The Vocation to the Priesthood. 187
St. Bernard in speaking to clerics, " is there any one so
insolent as, without orders and contrary to the will of
the pettiest monarch, to assume the direction of his
affairs?"1 And are not priests, as St. Prosper says, the
administrators of the royal house ? 2 Are they not, accord
ing to St. Ambrose, the " leaders and rectors of the flock
of Christ"?' according to St. Chrysostom, the "inter
preters of the divine judgments,"4 and according to St.
Denis, the " vicars of Christ "? 5 Will any one who knows
all this dare to become the minister of God without a
divine call ?
To think of exercising royal authority is, according to
St. Peter Chrysologus, criminal in a subject.6 To in
trude into the house of a private individual, in order to
dispose of his goods and to manage his business, would
be considered temerity; for even a private individual has
the right of appointing the administrators of his affairs.
And will you, says St. Bernard, without being called or
introduced by God, intrude into his house to take charge
of his interests and to dispose of his goods?7
The Council of Trent has declared that the Church
regards not as her minister, but as a robber, the man
who audaciously assumes the priesthood without a voca
tion.4 Such priests may labor and toil, but their labors
" Auderetne aliquis vestmm terreni cujuslibet reguii, non praeci
piente aut etiam prohibente eo, occupare ministeria, negotia dispen-
sare ?" — De Conv. adder, c. 19.
8 " Dispensatores regiae domus." — De Vita cont. 1. 2, c. 2.
3 " Duces et rectores gregis Christi." — De Dign. sac. c. 2.
4 " Interpretes divinorum judiciorum."
6 " Vicar ii Christi." — Horn. 17.
6 " Regnum velle servum, crimen est." — Serm. 23.
'"Quid istud temeritatis, imo quid insaniffi est? tu irreverenter
irruis, nee vocatus, nee introductus."— De Vita cler. c. 5.
" Decernit sancta Synodus eos qui ea (ministeria) propria temeri^
tate sibi sumunt, omnes, non Ecclesiae ministros, sed fures et latrones
per ostium non ingressos habendos esse." — Sess. 23, cap. 4.
1 88 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
shall profit them little before God. On the contrary,
the works that are meritorious in others shall deserve
chastisement for them. Should a servant who is com
manded by his master to take care of the house, through
his own caprice labor in cultivating the vineyard, he
may toil and sweat, but instead of being rewarded he
shall be chastised by his master. Thus, in the first
place, because they are not conformable to the divine
will, the Lord shall not accept the toils of the man who,
without a vocation, intrudes himself into the priest
hood. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts,
and I will not receive a gift of your hand.1 Intheend God
will not reward, but will punish the works of the priest
who has entered the sanctuary without a vocation.
What stranger soever cometh to it (the tabernacle] shall be
slain."1
Whosoever, then, aspires to holy Orders must, in the
first place, carefully examine whether his vocation is
from God. " For," says St. John Chrysostom, "since
this dignity is great, it must be approved by a divine
sentence, so that only the one that is worthy may be ad
mitted thereto." : Now to know whether his call is from
God, he should examine the marks of a divine vocation.
He, says St. Luke, who wishes to build a tower first
computes the necessary expenses, in order to know if he
has the means of completing the edifice.4
4 " Non est mihi voluntas in vobis, dicit Dominus exercituum, et
munus non suscipiam de manu vestra." — Mai. i. 10.
2 " Quisquis externorum accesserit (ad tabernaculum) occidetur." —
Num. i. 51.
3 " Quoniam dignitas magna est, et revera divina sententia compro-
banda. " — In I Tim. horn. 5.
4 " Quis enim ex vobis, volens turrim sedificare, non prius sedens
computat sumptus qui necessarii sunt, si habeat ad perficiendum ?"-
Luke, xiv. 28.
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 189
IL
Marks of a Divine Vocation to the Sacerdotal State,
Let us now see what are the marks of a divine voca
tion to the sacerdotal state.
Nobility is not a mark of a divine vocation. To know,
says St. Jerome, whether a person should become the
guide of the people in what regards their eternal salva
tion, we must consider not nobility of blood, but sanctity
of life.1 St. Gregory says the same: " By one's con
duct, not by one's high birth, is one's vocation to be
proved." 2
Nor is the will of parents a mark of a divine vo
cation. In inducing a child to take priesthood they
seek not his spiritual welfare, but their own interest,
and the advancement of the family. " How many
mothers," says St. John Chrysostom, or the author of
the Imperfect Work, " have eyes only for the bodies of
their children and disdain their souls! To see them
happy here below is all that they desire; as for the
punishments that perhaps their children are to en
dure in the next life, they do not even think of
them."; We must be persuaded, as Jesus Christ has
said, that with regard to the choice of a state of life we
have no enemies more dangerous than our own rela
tives. And a mans enemies shall be they of his own house
hold." Hence the Redeemer adds: He that loveth fathei
" Principatum in populos, non sanguini deferendum, sed vitae." —
In Tit. i.
2 "Quos dignos divina probet electio, secundum vitae, non generis
meritum."
3 " Matres corpora natorum amant, animas contemnunt; desiderant
illos valere in saeculo isto, et non curant quid sint passuri in alio." —
Horn. 35.
4 " Et mimici hominis, domesiici ejus." — Matt. x. 36.
Material for Sermons. [PART i.
or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me* Oh! how
many priests shall we see condemned on the day of
judgment for having taken holy Orders to please their
relatives.
When a young man, in obedience to the call of God,
wishes to become a religious, what efforts do not his
parents make, either through passion or for the interest
of the family, to dissuade him from following his voca
tion ! It is necessary to know that, according to the
common opinion of theologians, this cannot be excused
from mortal sin. See what I have written on this sub
ject in my Moral Theology. Parents who act in this
manner are guilty of a double sin. They sin first
against charity, because they are the cause of a grievous
evil to the child whom God has called to religion. A
person who dissuades even a stranger from following a
religious vocation is guilty of a grievous sin. They sin,
secondly, against piety; for by their obligation to edu
cate a child they are bound to promote his greater
spiritual welfare. Some ignorant confessors tell their
penitents who wish to become religious, that in this they
should obey their parents, and abandon their vocation
if their parents object to their entering religion. These
confessors adopt the opinion of Luther, who taught that
a person sins by entering religion without the consent
of his parents. But the doctrine of Luther was rejected
by the holy Fathers, and by the Tenth Council of
Toledo, in which it was decreed that children who had
attained their fourteenth year may lawfully enter re
ligion even against the will of their parents. A child is
bound to obey his parents in what regards his education
and the government of the house; but with regard to
the choice of a state of life, he should obey God by
embracing the state to which God calls him. When
1 "Qui amat patrem aut matrcm plus quam me, non est me dignus."
— Matt. x. 37.
CHAP, x.i The Vocation to the Priesthood. 191
parents seek to be obeyed in this matter we must answer
them in the words of the apostles to the princes of the
Jews: If it be just in the sight of God to hear you rather
than God) judge ye.1
St. Thomas expressly teaches that in the ohoice of
a state of life children are not obliged to obey their
parents. And the saint says that when there is question
of a vocation to religion, a person is not bound even to
consult his relatives; for on such occasions self-interest
changes relatives into enemies.2 Parents are, as St.
Bernard says, content to see their children damned with
them, rather than see them saved by entering religion
and separating from the family.3 But when a person
wishes to enter the sacerdotal state, in which he may be
able to serve the family, what efforts do not his parents
make to procure his ordination, either by lawful or un
lawful means, whether he is called or not called to the
priesthood ! And with what severity do they not treat
him if, through remorse of conscience, he refuse to take
holy orders ! Barbarous fathers! Let us, with St. Ber
nard, call them not parents, but murderers!4 Unhappy
fathers! miserable children! I say again. How many
shall we see condemned in the valley of Josaphat for
having interfered with the vocation of others, or for
not having attended to their own! For, as we shall
hereafter demonstrate, the salvation of each individual
depends on following the divine call.
But let us return to our subject. Neither nobility of
birth nor the will of parents are marks of a vocation to
"Si justum est, in conspectu Dei, vos potius audire quam Deum,
judicate." — Acts, iv. 19.
" Propinqui autem carnis, in hoc proposito.amici nonsunt, sed potius
inimici, juxta sententiam Domini: ' Inimici hominis, domestic! ejus. ' "
— Contra retr. a. reL c. 9.
" O durum pattern, o saevam matrem, quorum consolatio mors filii
est; qui me malunt perirecum eis, quam regnare sine eis!" — Epist. in.
4 " Non parentes, sed peremptores."
192 Material for Sermons. IPART i.
the priesthood; nor is talent or fitness for the offices of
a priest a sign of vocation, for along with talent a holy
life and a divine call are necessary.
What, then, are the marks of a divine vocation to the
ecclesiastical state? There are three principal marks:
i. PURITY OF INTENTION.
The first is a good intention. It is necessary to enter
the sanctuary by the door, but there is no other door
than Jesus Christ: I am the door of the sheep. . . . If any
man enter in, he shall be saved.1 To enter, then, by the
door is to become a priest not to please relatives, nor to
advance the family, nor for the sake of self-interest or
self-esteem, but to serve God, to propagate his glory,
and to save souls. " If any one," says a wise theo
logian, the learned continuator of Tournely, " presents
himself for holy Orders without any vicious affection,
and with the sole desire to be employed in the service of
God and in the salvation of his neighbor, he, we may
believe, is called by God."'J Another author asserts
that he who is impelled by ambition, interest, or a motive
of his own glory, is called not by God, but by the devil.3
"But," adds St. Anselm, "he who enters the priesthood
through so unworthy motives shall receive not a blessing
but a malediction from God.4
1 " Ego sum ostium ovium. . . . Per me si quis introierit, salvabi-
tur. " — John, x. 7.
2 " Si enim aliquis, liber ab omni vitioso affectu, ad clerum, Deo
deserviendi causa et salutis populi gratia solum, se conferat, vocari a
Deo praesumitur." — De Ord. q. 4, a. 4.
s"Ambiv'one duceris, vel avaritia? inhias honori? Non te vocat
Deus, sed diabolus tentat." — Hall, p i, s. 3, c. 2, § 4.
4 " Qui enim se ingerit et propriam gloriam quaerit, gratioe Dei
rapinam facit; et ideo non accipit benedictionem, sed maledictionem."
— In Heb. 5.
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 193
2. SCIENCE AND TALENTS.
The second mark is the talent and learning necessary
for the fulfilment of the duties of a priest. Priests must
be masters to teach the people the law of God. For the
lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the
law at his mouth.1 Sidonius Apollinarius used to say:
" Ignorant physicians are the cause of many deaths."2
An ignorant priest, particularly a confessor, who teaches
false doctrines and gives bad counsels will be the ruin
of many souls; because, inconsequence of being a priest,
his errors are easily believed. Hence tvone Carnotensis
has written: "No one should be admitted to holy Orders
unless he has given sufficient proofs of good conduct and
learning." :
A priest must not only have a competent knowledge
of all the rubrics necessary for the celebration of Mass,
but must be also acquainted with the principal things
that regard the sacrament of penance. It is true, as we
have said in the preceding chapter of this work, th,at
every priest is not obliged to hear confessions, unless
there is great necessity for his assistance in the district
in which he lives; however, every priest is bound to be
acquainted with what a priest must ordinarily know in
order to be able to hear the confessions of dying per
sons; that is, he is bound to know when he has faculties
to absolve, when and how he ought to give absolution
to the sick, whether conditionally or absolutely; what
obligation he ought to impose on them, if they are under
any censure. He should also know at least the general
principles of Moral Theology.
" Labia enim Sacerdotis custodient scientiam, et legem requirent
ex ore ejus." — Mai. ii. 7.
2 " Medici parum docti multos occidunt." — Lib. 2, ep. 12.
3 " Nulli ad sacros Ordines sunt promovendi, nisi quos vita et doc-
trina idoneos probat."
13
1 94 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
3. POSITIVE GOODNESS OF CHARACTER.
The third mark of an ecclesiastical vocation is positive
virtue.
Hence, in the first place, the person who is to be
ordained should be a man of innocent life, and should
not be contaminated by sins. The Apostle requires that
they who are to be ordained priests should be free from
every crime. In ancient times a person who had com
mitted a single mortal sin could never be ordained, as
we learn from the First Council of Nice.1 And St.
Jerome says that it was not enough for a person to be
free from sin at the time of his ordination, but that it
was, moreover, necessary that he should not have fallen
into mortal sin since the time of his baptism.2 It is true
that this rigorous discipline has ceased in the Church,
but it has been always at least required that he who had
fallen into grievous sins should purify his conscience
for a considerable time before his ordination. This we
may infer from a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims, in
which Alexander III. commanded that a deacon who had
wounded another deacon, if he sincerely repented of his
sin, might, after being absolved, and after performing
the penance enjoined, be permitted again to exercise his
Order; and that if he afterwards led a perfect life, he
might be promoted to priesthood.3 He, then, who finds
himself bound by a habit of any vice cannot take any
holy Order without incurring the guilt of mortal sin.
" I am horrified," says St. Bernard,4 " when I think
1 "Qui confess! sunt peccata, canon (ecclesiasticus ordo) non
admittit. " — Can. 9.
2 " Ex eo tempore quo in Christo renatus est, nulla peccati consci-
entia remordeatur." — /;/ Tit. I.
3 " Et si perfectae vitae et conversations fuerit, eum in presbyterum
(poteris) ordinare." — Cap. I, De diacono. Qui cler.
4 " Horreo considerans unde, quo vocaris, praesertim cum nullum
intercurrerit pcenitentise tempus. Et quidem rectus ordo requirit ut
prius propriam, deinde alienas curare studeas conscientias." — Epist. 8.
CHAP, x.] 1'he Vocation to the Priesthood. 195
whence thou comest, whither thou goest, and what a
short penance thou hast put between thy sins and thy
ordination. However, it is indispensable that thou do
not undertake to purify the conscience of others before
thou purifiest thy own." Of those daring sinners who,
though full of bad habits, take priesthood, an ancient
author, Gildas, says, " It is not to the priesthood that
they should be admitted, but they should be dragged
to the pillory."1 They, then, says St. Isidore, who are
still subject to the habit of any sin should not be pro
moted to holy Orders.2
But he who intends to ascend the altar must not only
be free from sin, but must have also begun to walk in
the path of perfection, and have acquired a habit of
virtue. In our Moral Theology3 we have shown in a
distinct dissertation (and this is the common opinion)
that if a person in the habit of any vice wish to be
ordained, it is not enough for him to have the disposi
tions necessary for the sacrament of penance, but that
he must also have the dispositions required for receiving
the sacrament of order; otherwise he is unfit for both:
and should he receive absolution with the intention of
taking Orders without the necessary dispositions, he
and the confessor who absolves him shall be guilty of a
grievous sin. For it is not enough for those who wish
to take holy Orders to have left the state of sin: they
must also, according to the words of Alexander III. (si
perfects vita et conversionis fiterii], cited in the preceding
paragraph, have the positive virtue necessary for the
ecclesiastical state. From the words of the Pontiff we
learn that a person who has done penance may exercise
" Multi digniores erant ad catastam poenalem, quam ad Sacer-
dotium trahi." — Cast, in eccl. ord.
2 " Non sunt promovendi ad regimen Ecclesiae, qui adhUc vitiis sub
jacent." — Sent. \. 3, c. 34.
3 J'heol. moral. \. 6, n. 63, et s.
196 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
an order already received, but he who has only done
penance cannot take a higher order. The angelic Doc
tor teaches the same doctrine: " Sanctity is required for
the reception of holy Orders, and we must place the
sublime burden of the priesthood only upon walls
already dried by sanctity; that is, freed from the malig
nant humor of sin." ' This is conformable to what St.
Denis wrote long before: " Let no one be so bold as to
propose himself to others as their guide in the things of
God, if he has not first, with all his power, transformed
himself into God to the point of perfect resemblance to
him."2 For this St. Thomas adduces two reasons: the
first is, that as he who takes orders is raised above seculars
in dignity, so he should be superior to them in sanctity.3
The second reason is, that by his ordination a priest is
appointed to exercise the most sublime ministry on the
altar, for which greater sanctity is required than for the
religious state.4
Hence the Apostle forbade Timothy to ordain neo
phytes; that is, according to St. Thomas, neophytes in
perfection as well as neophytes in age.5 Hence the
1 f< Ordines sacri praeexigunt sanctitatem ; unde pondus Ordinum im-
ponendum est parietibus jam per sanctitatem desiccatis, id est, ab humore
vitiorum." — 2, 2, q. 189, a. i.
2 " In divino omni non audendum aliis ducem fieri, nisi secundum
omnem habitum suum factus sit deiformissimus et Deo simillimus." —
De Eccl. Hier. c. 3.
3 " Ad idoneam executionem Ordinum, non sufficit bonitas qua-
liscumque, sed requiritur bonitas excellens, ut, sicut illi, qui Ordinem
suscipiunt, super plebem constituuntur gradu Ordinis, ita et superi-
ores sint merito sanctitatis; et ideo prseexigitur gratia quae sufficiat ad
hoc quod digne connumerentur in plebe Christi." — Suppl. q. 35, a. i.
4 " Quia per sacrum Ordinem aliquis deputatur ad dignissima
ministeria, quibus- ipsi Christo servitur in Sacramento altaris; ad quod
requiritur major sanctitas interior, quam requirat etiam religionis
status." — 2. 2, q. 184, a. 8.
5 " Qui non solum aetate neophyti, sed et qui neophyti sunt perfec-
tione."
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 197
Council of Trent, in reference to the words of Scripture,
And a spotless life in old age? prescribes to the bishops to
admit to ordination only those who show themselves
worthy by a conduct full of wise maturity.2 And of this
positive virtue it is necessary, according to St. Thomas,
to have not a doubtful but a certain knowledge.3 This,
according to St. Gregory, is particularly necessary with
regard to the virtue of chastity: "No one should be
admitted to the ministry of the altar unless an assurance
has been given of his perfect chastity."4 With regard
to chastity, the holy Pontiff required a proof of many
years.5
From this we may infer that God will demand a
terrible account of the parish priest who gives to per
sons aspiring to the priesthood a testimony of their
having frequented the sacraments and led exemplary
lives, though they had neglected the frequentation of
the sacraments, and had given scandal rather than good
example. Such parish priests by these false attesta
tions, given not through charity, as they pretend, but
against the charity due to God and the Church, render
themselves guilty of all the sins that shall be afterwards
committed by the bad priests who were ordained in
consequence of these testimonials. For in this matter
bishops trust to the testimony of parish priests, and are
deceived. Nor should a parish priest in giving such
attestations trust the testimony of others: he cannot
give them unless he is certain that what he attests is
1 " ^Etas senectutis, vita immaculata." — Wisd. iv. 9.
" Sciant episcopi debere ad hos (sacros) Ordines assumi dignos
dumtaxat, et quorum probata vita senectus sit." — Sess. 23, cap. 12.
3 " Sed etiam habeatur certitude de qualitate promovendorum." —
Suppl. q. 36, a. 4.
4 " Nullus debet ad ministerium altaris accedere, nisi cujus castitas
ante susceptum ministerium fuerit approbata." — Lib. I, ep. 42.
5 " Ne unquam ii qui ordinati sunt, pereant, prius aspiciatur sr vita
eorum continens ab annis plurimis fuit." — Lib. 3, ep. 26.
198 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
true, namely, that the ecclesiastic has really led an
exemplary life, and has frequented the sacraments.
And as a bishop cannot ordain any person unless he
be a man of approved chastity, so a confessor cannot
permit an incontinent penitent to receive ordination
without having a moral certainty that he is free from
the bad habit which he had contracted, and that he had
acquired a habit of the virtue of chastity.*
III.
To what Dangers one Exposes One's Self by taking Holy
Orders without a Vocation.
From what has been said, it follows that he who takes
holy Orders without the marks of a vocation cannot be
excused from the guilt of grievous sin. This is the
doctrine of many theologians, — of Habert, of Natalis
Alexander, of Juenin, and of the continuator of Tour-
nely. And before them St. Augustine taught the same.
Speaking of the chastisement inflicted on Core, Dathan,
and Abiron, who, without being called, attempted to
exercise the sacerdotal functions, the holy Doctor said:
" God struck them that they might serve as an example,
and thus to warn off him who would dare to assume a
sacred charge. Indeed, this is the chastisement reserved
for those who would thrust themselves into the office of
bishop, priest, or deacon." ' And the reason is, first, be
cause he who thrusts himself into the sanctuary without
a divine call cannot be excused from grievous presump-
1 " Condemnati sunt ut daretur exemplum, ne quis non sibi a Deo
datum munus pontificatus invaderet. . . . Hoc patiuntur quicumque
se in episcopatus, aut presbyteratus, aut diaconatus, officium conantur
ingerere." — Serin. 30, E. B. app.
* We may also see other useful reflections on the virtue required to
be admitted to holy Orders, in the "Practice of the Love of Jesus
Christ," Chapter VII, vol. vi. page 382. — Eix
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 199
tion; secondly, because he shall be deprived of the con
gruous and abundant helps, without which, as Habert
writes, he shall be absolutely unable to comply with the
obligations of his state, but shall fulfil them only with
great difficulty. He will be like a dislocated member,
which can be used only with difficulty, and which causes
deformity.'
Hence Bishop Abelly writes: " He who of himself, with
out inquiring whether he has a vocation or not, thrusts
himself into the priesthood will no doubt expose himself
to the great danger of losing his soul; for he commits
against the Holy Spirit that sin for which, as the Gospel
says, there is hardly or very rarely any pardon."'
The Lord has declared that his wrath is provoked
against those who wish to rule in his Church without
being called by him. On this passage St. Gregory says,
" It is by themselves and not by the will of the Supreme
Head that they reign.'" Divine vocation is entirely
wanting to them, and they have followed only the ardor
of vile cupidity, not certainly to accept, but to usurp this
sublime dignity.4 How many intrigues, adulations, en
treaties, and other means do certain persons employ in
order to procure ordination, not in obedience to the call
of God, but through earthly motives ! But woe to such
1 " Manebitque in corpora Ecclesise velut membrum in corpora
humano suis sedibus motum, quod servire potest, sed segre admodum
et cum deformitate.'' — De Ord. p. 3, c. i, § 2.
2 " Qui sciens et volens, nulla divinae vocationis habita ratione, sese
in sacerdotium intruderet, baud dubie seipsum in apertissimum salutis
discrimen injiceret, peccando scilicet in Spiritum Sanctum, quod qiii-
dem peccatum vix aut rarissime dimitti ex Evangelio discimus." — Sac.
chr. p. I, c. 4.
3 " Ipsi regnaverunt, et non ex me, . . . iratus est furor meus in
eos." — Os. viii. 4.
4 " Ex se, et non ex arbitrio summi Rectoris, regnant: nequaquam
divinitus vocati, sed sua cupidine accensi, culmen regiminis rapiunt
potius quam assequuntur." — Past. p. I, c. i.
2OO Material for Sermons. [PART i.
men, says the Lord by the prophet Isaias: Woe to you,
apostate children, . . . that you would take counsel, and not of
me.1 On the day of judgment they shall claim a reward,
but Jesus Christ shall cast them off. Many will say to
Me in that day, have we not prophesied in Thy name (by
preaching and teaching), and cast out devils in Thy name
(by absolving penitent sinners), and done many miracles in
Thy name (by correcting the wicked, by settling disputes,
by converting sinners). And then will I prof ess unto them:
I never knew you; depart from Me, you that work iniquity?'
Priests who have not been called are indeed workmen
and ministers of God, because they have received the
sacerdotal character; but they are ministers of iniquity
and rapine, because they have of their own will, and
without vocation, intruded themselves into the sheep-
fold. They have not, as St. Bernard says,3 received the
keys, but have taken them by force. They toil, but God
will not accept; he will, on the contrary, punish their
works and labors, because they have not entered 'the
sanctuary by the straight path. The labor of fools shall
afflict them that know not how to go to the city? The
Church, says St. Leo, receives only those whom the Lord
chooses, and by his election makes fit to be his minis
ters.5 But, on the other hand, the Church rejects those
1 " Vae filii desertores, dicit Dominus, ut faceretis consilium, et non
ex me !" — Isa. xxx. i.
2 " Multi dicent mihi in ilia die. Domine, Domine. nonne in nomine
tuo prophetavimus (praedicando, docendo), et in nomine tuo daemonia
ejecimus (absolvendo poenitentes), et in nomine tuo virtutes multas
fecimus (corrigendo, lites componendo, errantes reducendo)? — Et tune
confitebor illis: Quh nunquam novi vos: discedite a me, qui opera-
mini iniquitatem." — Matt. vii. 22.
3 " Tollitis, non accipitis claves; de qtiibus Dominus queritur: ' Ipsi
regnaverunt, et non ex me.' " — De Conv. ad cler. c. 19.
4 ''Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere." —
Eccles. x. 15.
5 "Eos Ecclesia accipit, quos Spiritus Sanctus praeparavit, . . . et
dignatio coelestis gratia^ gignit." — In die ass. SIKZ, s. 2.
CHAP, x.j The Vocation to the Priesthood. 201
whom, as St. Peter Darnian has written, God has not
called; for instead of promoting her welfare, they com
mit havoc among her members; and instead of edifying,
they contaminate and destroy her children.1
Whom He (the Lord) shall choose, they shall approach to
Him.'2' God will gladly admit into his presence all whom
he has called to the priesthood, and will cast off the priest
whom he has not chosen. St. Ephrem regards as lost
the man who is so daring as to take the order of priest
hood without a vocation. "I am astonished," he says,
"at that which those fools dare to do, who, without the
grace of vocation through Christ, full of boldness, seek
to insinuate themselves into the office of the priesthood.
Miserable beings, that know not that they are preparing
for themselves an eternal fire.": And Peter de Blois
has written: "What ruin does not the bold man prepare
for himself who of the sacrifice makes a sacrilege, and
of life an instrument of death!"' He who errs in his
vocation exposes himself to greater danger than if he
transgressed particular precepts; for if he violates a
particular command, he may rise from his fall, and begin
again to walk in the right path, but he who errs in his
vocation mistakes the way itself. Hence the longer he
travels in it, the more distant he is from his home. To
him we may justly apply the words of St. Augustine:
"You run well, but on the wrong road."5
It is necessary to be persuaded of the truth of what
St. Gregory says, that our eternal salvation depends
1 " Nemo deterius Ecclesiam laedit." — Cont. cler. mil. c. 3.
2 " Quos elegerit (Dominus), appropinquabunt ei." — Num. xvi. 5.
3 " Obstupesco ad ea quse soliti sunt quidam insipientium audere, qui
temere se conantur ingerere ad munus Sacerdotii assumendum, licet
non adsciti a gratia Christi: ignorantes, miseri, quod ignem et mortem
sibi accumulant." — Or. de Sacerd.
4 " Quam perditus est, qui sacrificium in sacrilegium, qui vitam con-
vertit in mortem." — Ep. ad rich. land.
5 " Bene curris, sed extra viam./'
2O2 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
principally on embracing the state to which God has
called us.1 The reason is evident: for it is God that
destines, according to the order of his Providence, his
state of life for each individual, and according to the
state to which he calls him, prepares for him abundant
graces and suitable helps. " In the distribution of graces,"
says St. Cyprian, " the Holy Spirit takes into considera
tion his own plan and not our caprices."1 And accord
ing to the Apostle: And whom He predestinated, them He
also called. And whom He called, them He also justified?
Thus to vocation succeeds justification, and to justifica
tion, glory; that is, the attainment of eternal life. He,
then, who does not obey the call of God shall neither be
justified nor glorified. Father Granada justly said that
vocation is the main wheel of our entire life. As in a
clock, if the main wheel be spoiled the entire clock is
injured, so, says St. Gregory Nazianzen, if a person err
in his vocation his whole life will be full of errors; for
in the state to which God has not called him he will be
deprived of the helps by which he can with facility lead
a good life.
Every one, says St. Paul, hath his proper gift from God;
one after this manner, and another after that.* The mean
ing of this passage, according to St. Thomas and other
commentators, is, that the Lord gives to each one graces
to fulfil with ease the obligations of the state to which
he calls him. "God," says the angelic Doctor, "gives
to every man not only certain aptitudes, but also all that
is necessary to exercise them." ' And in another place
1 "A vocatione pendet aeternitas."
2 "Ordine suo, non nostro arbitrio, Sancti Spiritus virtus ministra-
tur. " — De Sing. clcr.
3 " Quos praedestinavit, hos et vocavit; et quos vocavit, hos et justi-
ficavit; quos autem justificavit, illos et glorificavit." — Rom. viii. 30.
4 " Unusquisque proprium donum habet ex Deo: alius quidem sic,
alius vero sic." — i Cor. vii. 7,
5 " Cuicumque datur potentia aliqua divinitus, dantur etiam ea per
quae executio illius poientiae possit congrue fieri." — Suppl. q. 35, a. i.
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 203
he writes: "God does not destine men to such or such a
vocation without favoring them with gifts at the same
time, and preparing them in such a way as to render
them capable of fulfilling the duties of their vocation;
for, says St. Paul: Our sufficiency is from God, who also
hath made us fit ministers of the New Testament? As each
person, then, will be able to discharge with facility the
office to which God elects him, so he will be unfit for the
fulfilment of the office to which God does not call him.
The foot, which is given to enable us to walk, cannot see;
the eye, which is given to see, is incapable of hearing;
and how shall he whojs not chosen by God to the priest
hood be able to discharge its obligations?
It belongs to the Lord to choose the workmen who are
to cultivate his vineyard: I have chosen you, . . . and have
appointed you that you should go, and should bring forth fruit?
Hence the Redeemer did not say, Beg of men to go and
gather the harvest; but he tells us to ask the master of
the crop to send workmen to collect it.3 Hence he also
said: As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you." When
God calls, he himself, says St. Leo, gives the necessary
helps.5 This is what Jesus Christ has said: I am the door.
By Me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and he shall go
in, and go out, and shall find pastures.6 " He shall go in:" 7
1 " Illos quos Deus ad aliquid eligit, ita praeparat et disponit, tit ad
id ad quod eliguntur, inveniantur idonei, secundum illud: ' Idoneos
nos fecit ministros Novi Testament!.'" — (2 Cor. iii. 5.) — P. 3, q. 27^ a. 4.
2 " Ego elegi vos, et posui vos, ut eatis et fructum afferatis." —
John, xv. 1 6.
3 " Rogate ergo dominum messis, ut mittat operarios in messem
suam." — Ltike, x 2.
4 " Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos." — John, xx. 21.
5 ' ' Qai mihi honoris est auctor, ipse mihi fiet administrationum adju-
tor; dabit virtutem, qui contulit dignitatem." — In die ass. sucz, s. i.
6 " Ego sum ostium. Per me si quis introierit, salvabitur; et ingre-
dietur, et egredietur, et pascua inveniet." — John, x. g.
r " Ingjedietur. "
204 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
what the priest called by God undertakes, he shall easily
accomplish without sin, and with merit. And shall go
otit:1 he shall be in the midst of perils and occasions of
sin, but with the divine aid he shall readily escape injury.
And shall find pastures:'' finally, in consequence of being
in the state in which God has placed him, he will be as
sisted in all the duties of his ministry by special graces,
which will make him advance in perfection. Hence he
will be able to say with confidence, The Lord ruleth me:
and I shall want nothing. He hath set me in a place of
pasture?
But priests whom God has not sent to work in his
'Church he shall abandon to eternal ignominy and de
struction. / did not send prophets, says the Lord by the
prophet Jeremiah, yet they ran. He afterwards adds:
Therefore I will take you away, carrying you, and will for
sake you; . . . and I will bring an everlasting reproach upon
you, and a perpetual shame which shall never be forgotten?
In order to be raised to the sublimity of the priesthood,
it is necessary, as St. Thomas says, for a man " to be ex
alted and elevated by divine power above the natural
order of things," 5 because he is appointed the sanctifier
of the people, and the vicar of Jesus Christ. But in him
who raises himself to so great a dignity shall be verified
the words of the Wise Man: There is that hath appeared a
fool after he was lifted up on high* Had he remained in
1 " Et egredietur."
2 " Et pascua inveniet."
3 " Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit; in loco pascuae ibi me
collocavit." — Ps. xxii. i.
4 " Non mittebam prophetas, et ipsi currebant. — Propterea ecce ego
tollam vos p6rtans, et derelinquam vos; . . . et dabo vos in oppro
brium sempiternum, et in ignominiam aeternam, quae nunquam obli-
vione delebitur." — Jer. xxiii. 21-39.
5 " Ut divina virtute evehatur, et transmittatur supra naturalem re-
rum ordinem." — Habert, de Ord. p. 3, c. i, § 2.
6 " Stultus apparuit, postquam elevatus est in sublime." — P_rov.
xxx. 32.
CHAF. x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 205
the world, he should perhaps have been a virtuous lay
man; but having become a priest without a vocation, he
will be a bad priest, and instead of promoting the interest
of religion, he will do great injury to the Church. Of
such priests the Roman Catechism says: "Such minis
ters are for the Church of God the gravest embarrass
ment and the most terrible scourge." ] And what good
can be expected from the priest who has entered the
sanctuary without a vocation? " It is impossible," says
St. Leo, " that a work so badly begun should finish
well."2 St. Laurence Justinian has written: "What
fruit, I ask, can come from a corrupted root?"3 Our
Saviour has said, Every plant which My heavenly Father
hath not planted shall be rooted up? Hence Peter de Blois
writes that when God permits a person to be ordained
without a vocation, the permission is not a grace, but a
chastisement. For a tree which has not taken deep
root, when exposed to the tempest shall soon fall and
be cast into the fire.5 And St. Bernard says that he who
has not lawfully entered the sanctuary shall continue to
be unfaithful; and instead of procuring the salvation of
souls, he shall be the cause of their death and perdition.6
This is conformable to the doctrine of Jesus Christ: He
1 " Hujusmodi hominum genere nihil infelicius, nihil Ecclesiae Dei
calamitosius esse potest." — P. 2, c. 7, q. 3.
2 " Difficile est ut bono peragantur exitu, quae malo sunt inchoata
principio." — Epist. 87.
3"Qualem, oro, potest fructum producere corrupta radix T—De
Conipunct.
" Omnis plantatio, quam non plantavit Pater meus coelestis, eradi-
cabitur." — Matt. xv. 13.
5 " Ira est, non gratia, cum quis ponitur super ventum, nullas habens
radices in soliditate virtutum." — De inst. ep. c. 3.
6 "Qui non fideliter introivit, quidni infideliter agat et contra Chris
tum? faciet ad quod venit, ut mactet utique et disperdat." — De Vita
cler. c. 7.
206 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, . . . the same
is a thief and a robber?
Some may say, if they only were admitted to orders
who have the marks of vocation which have been laid
down as indispensable, there should be but few priests
in the Church, and the people should be left without the
necessary helps. But to this the Fourth Council of
Lateran has answered: "It is much better to confer the
priesthood on a small number of virtuous clerics than to
have a large number of bad priests."2 And St. Thomas
says that God never abandons his Church so as to leave
her in want of fit ministers to provide for the necessity
of the people.3 St. Leo justly says that to provide for
the wants of the people by bad priests would be not to
save but to destroy them.4
If, then, a priest has been ordained without a vocation,
what must he do?5 Must he look on himself as lost?
must he abandon himself to despair? No. St. Gregory
has asked the same question. He answers: " He must
lament."' Behold what such a priest must do if he
wish to save his soul: " He must lament;"6 he must
weep, and seek to appease the anger of God by tears
and by repentance, and to move him to pardon the great
sin that he committed in thrusting himself into the
sanctuary without a divine call. He must, as St. Bernard
exhorts, endeavor to attain after his ordination the
sanctity of life which ought to precede it.7 He must
1 " Qui non intrat per ostium, . . . ille fur est et latro. — Fur non
venit nisi ut furetur, et mactet, et perdat." — John, x. i-io.
2 " Satius est maxime in ordinatione sacerdotum paucos bonos quam
multos malos habere." — Cap. 27.
3 " Deus nunquam ita deserit Ecclesiam suam, quin inveniantur
idonei ministri sufficientes ad necessitatem plebis." — Suppl. q. 36, a. 4.
4 " Non est hoc consulere populis, sed nocere." — Epist. 87.
5 " Sacerdos sum non vocatus; quid faciendum?"
6 " Ingemiscendum."
1 "Si vitse sanctitas non praecessit, sequatur saltern."
CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 207
change his conduct, his conversation and pursuits. " Let
all be holy — your life and your works," 1 continues the
saint. If he is ignorant, he must study; if he has spent
his time in worldly conversations and amusements, he
must change them into meditations, spiritual reading,
and visits to the churches. But to do this he must use
violence to himself; for, as has been already said, since
he has entered the sanctuary without a vocation, he is
but a dislocated member, and therefore he must work
out his salvation with great difficulty and great labor.
But if in consequence of having become a priest without
a divine call, he is, as has been shown, bereft of the helps
necessary to enable him to discharge with facility the
obligations of the priesthood, how shall he without these
helps fulfil the sacerdotal duties ? Habert,2 and the con-
tinuator of Tournely,3 say, let him pray, and by his
prayers he shall obtain that assistance which he does
not deserve.4 This is conformable to the doctrine of
the Council of Trent: " God commands not impossibili
ties, but, by commanding, both admonishes thee to do
what thou art able, and to pray for what thou art not
able (to do), and aids thee that thou mayest be able."5
1 " Bonas fac de caetero vias tuas et studia tua." — Epist. 27.
2 De Ord. p. 3, c. i, § 2.
3 De Oblig. cler. c. i, a. I, concl. 3.
" Deus tune ex misericordia ea homini largitur auxilia, qu<e le-
gitime vocatis ex qualicumque justhia debet."
" Deus impossibilia non jubet; sed jubendo monet, et facere quod
possis, et petere quod non possis; et adjuvat ut possis." — Sess. 6,
cap. ii.
PART II.
MATERIAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
INSTRUCTION I.
THE CELEBRATION OF MASS.
Importance of the Holy Sacrifice and what it Exacts of the
Priest.
For every high-priest taken from among men is ordained
for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer
up gifts and sacrifices for sins.1 The priest, then, is placed
by God in the Church in order to offer sacrifice. This
office is peculiar to the priests of the Law of grace, to
whom has been given the power of offering the great
sacrifice of the body and blood of the Son of God — a
sacrifice sublime and perfect in comparison with the
ancient sacrifices, the entire perfection of which con
sisted in being the shadow and figure of our sacrifice.
They were sacrifices of calves and oxen, but ours is the
sacrifice of the eternal Word made Man. Of themselves
they had no efficacy, and were therefore called by St.
Paul weak and needy elements? But ours has power to
obtain the remission of the temporal penalties due to sins,
1 "Omnis namque Pontifex, ex hominibus assumptus, pro homini-
bus constituitur in iis quae sunt ad Deum, ut offerat dona et sacrificia
pro peccatis." — Hcb. v. i.
2 " Infirma et egena elementa." — Gal. iv. 9.
INSTR. i.i The Celebration of Mass. 209
and to procure an augmentation of grace, and more
abundant helps for those in whose behalf it is offered.
The priest who has not a just idea of the Mass shall
never offer that holy sacrifice as he ought. Jesus Christ
performed no action on earth greater than the celebra
tion of Mass. In a word, of all actions that can be per
formed, the Mass is the most holy and dear to God; as
well on account of the oblation presented to God, that
is, Jesus Christ, a victim of infinite dignity, as on account
of the first offerer, Jesus Christ, who offers himself on
the altar by the hand of the priest. " The same now
offering," says the Council of Trent, "by the ministry
of priests, who then offered himself on the cross." ' St.
John Chrysostom said: " When you see a priest offering,
do not believe that this is done by the hand of a priest;
the offering is made rather by the hand of God invisibly
stretched out."5
All the honors that the angels by their homages, and
men by their virtues, penances, and martyrdoms, and
other holy works, have ever given to God could not give
him as much glory as a single Mass. For all the honors
of creatures are finite honors, but the honor given to
God in the sacrifice of the altar, because it proceeds
from a divine person, is an infinite honor. Hence we
must confess that of all actions the Mass, as the Council
of Trent says, is the most holy and divine: "We must
needs confess that no other work can be performed by
the faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mys
tery itself."3 It is, then, as we have seen, an action the
1 " Idem nunc offerens, Sacerdotum ministerio, qui seipsum tune in
cruce obtulit." — Sess. 22, cap. 2.
2 " Cum videris Sacerdotem offerentem, ne ut Sacerdotem esse.
putes, sed Christ! manum invisibiliter extensam." — Ad pop. Ant.
horn. 60.
3 " Necessario fatemur nullum aliud opus adeo sanctum ac divinum
a Christ! fidelibus tractari posse, quam hoc tremendum mysterium.''
— Sess. 22, Deer, de obs. in eel. M.
14
210 Material for Instructions. [PARTII.
most holy and dear to God — an action that appeases
most efficaciously the anger of God against sinners, that
beats down most effectually the powers of hell, that
brings to men on earth the greatest benefits, and that
affords to the souls in purgatory the greatest relief. It
is, in fine, an action in which, as St. Udone, Abbot of
Cluni, has written, consists the entire salvation of the
world: " Of all the favors granted to me this is the
greatest: it is truly by the most generous ardor of his
love that God instituted this mystery, without which
there would be no salvation in this world." ] And speak
ing of the Mass, Timothy of Jerusalem said that by it
the world is preserved.2 But for the Mass the earth
should have long since perished on account of the sins
of men.
St. Bonaventure says that in each Mass God bestows
on the world a benefit not inferior to that which he
conferred by his incarnation.3 This is conformable to
the celebrated words of St. Augustine: " O venerable dig
nity of the priests, in whose hands, as in the womb of the
Virgin, the Son of God became incarnate!"^ Moreover,
St. Thomas teaches that since the sacrifice of the altar
is nothing else than the application and renewal of the
sacrifice of the cross, a single Mass brings to men the
same benefits and salvation that were produced by the
1 " Hoc beneficium majus est inter omnia bona quae hominibus
concessa sunt, et hoc est quod Deus majori charitate mortalibus
indulsit, quia in hoc mysterio salus mundi tota consistit." — Collat, 1.
2, c. 28.
2 " Per quam orbis terrae consistit." — Or. de proph. Sim.
3 " Non minus videtur facere Deus in hoc quod quotidie dignatur
descendere de coelo super altare, quam cum naturam humani generis
assumpsit." — De Inst. Novit. p. I, c. n.
4 "O veneranda Sacerdotum dignitas, in quorum manibus, velut in
utero Virginis, Filius Dei incarnatur." — Molina, Instr. Sac. tr. i, c.
5, §2.
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 211
sacrifice of the cross.1 St. John Chrysostom says: " The
celebration of a Mass has the same value as the death of
Christ on the cross."2 And of this we are still more
assured by the holy Church in the Collect for the Sun
day aft'er Pentecost: " As many times as this commemo
rative sacrifice is celebrated, so often is the work of our
redemption performed."1 The same Redeemer who
once offered himself on the cross is immolated on the
altar by the ministry of his priests. " For the victim is
one and the same," says the Council of Trent: "the
same now offering by the ministry of priests, who then
offered Himself on the cross, the manner alone of offer
ing being different.""
In a word, the Mass is, according to the prediction of
the prophet, " the good and the beautiful thing" of the
Church: For what is the good thing of him, and what is his
beautiful thing, but the corn of the elect and wine springing
forth virgins?* In the Mass, Jesus Christ gives himself
to us by means of the most holy sacrament of the altar,
which is the end and object of all the other sacraments,
says the angelic Doctor.6 Justly, then, has St. Bona-
venture called the Mass a compendium of all God's love
and of all his benefits to men.7 Hence the devil has
1 " In qualibet Missa invenitur omnis fructus quern Christus operatus
est in cruce." — J. Herolt,De Sanct. s. 48. " Quidquid est effectus
Dominicae passionis, est effectus hujus Sacramend." — In Jo. 6, lect. 6.
2 " Tantum valet celebratio Missse, quantum mors Christ! in cruce."
— /. Herolt, De Sanct. s. 48.
3 "Quoties hujus Hostise commemoratio celebratur, opus nostrae
redemptionis exercetur." — Miss. Doni. 9 /. Pent.
4 " Una enim eademque est Hostia, idem nunc offerens Sacerdotum
ministerio, qui seipsum tune in cruce obtulit, sola offerendi ratione
di versa." — Sess. 22, cap. 2.
5 "Quid enim bonum ejus est, et quid pulchrum ejus, nisi frumentum
electorum, et vinum germinans virgines?" — Zach. ix. 17.
"Sacramenta in Eucharistia consummantur." — P. 3, q. 65, a. 3.
" Et ideo hoc est memoriale totius dilectionis suse, et quasi com
pendium quoddam omnium beneficiorum suorum." — De Inst. Novit .
p. i, c. ii.
2 1 2 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
always sought to deprive the world of the Mass by
means of the heretics, constituting them precursors of
Antichrist, whose first efforts shall be to abolish the
holy sacrifice of the altar, and, according to the prophet
Daniel, in punishment of the sins of men, his. efforts
shall be successful: And strength was given him against the
continual sacrifice because of sins?
Most justly, then, does the holy Council of Trent re
quire of priests to be most careful to celebrate Mass
with the greatest possible devotion and purity of con
science: "It is sufficiently clear that all industry and
diligence is to be applied to this end, that it (the mys
tery) be performed with the greatest possible inward
cleanness and purity of heart."2 And in the same place
the Council justly remarks, that on priests who celebrate
this great sacrifice negligently, and without devotion,
shall fall the malediction threatened by the prophet
Jeremiah: Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord
negligently? And St. Bonaventure says that he who
approaches the altar without reverence and considera
tion, celebrates or communicates unworthily.4 In order,
then, to avoid this malediction, let us see what the
priest must do before Mass, during Mass, and after
Mass. Before Mass preparation is necessary, during
the celebration of Mass reverence and devotion are neces
sary, after Mass thanksgiving is necessary. A servant
of God used to say that the life of a priest should be
nothing else than preparation and thanksgiving for
Mass.
1 " Robur autem datum est ei contra juge Sacrificium propter
peccata." — Dan. viii. 12.
2 " Satis apparet omnem operam et diligentiam in eo ponendam
esse, ut quanta maxima fieri potest interiori cordis munditia pera-
gatur." — Sess. 22, Deer, de obs. in eel. M.
3 " Maledictus, qui facit opus Domini fraudulenter." — Jer. xlviii. 10.
4 " Cave ne nimis tepidus accedas; quia indigne sumis, si non
accedis reverenter et considerate." — De Pnep. ad M. c. 5.
INSTR. i.] Tke Celebration of Mass. 213
II.
The Preparation for Mass.
In the first place, then, the priest must make his prep
aration before Mass.
Before we come to practice, I ask how does it happen
that there are so many priests in the world and so few
holy priests? St. Francis de Sales1 called the Mass a
mystery which comprises the entire abyss of divine love.
St. John Chrysostom used to say that the most holy
sacrament of the altar is the treasure of all God's benig
nity.2 There is no doubt that the Holy Eucharist has
been instituted for all the faithful, but it is a gift be
stowed in a special manner on priests. Give not, says
our Lord, addressing priests, that which is holy to dogs ;
neither cast ye your pearls before swine.'6 Mark the words
your pearls. In the Greek the consecrated particles are
called pearls ; but these pearls are called, as it were, the
property of priests: your pearls. Hence, as St. John
Chrysostom says, every priest should leave the altar all
inflamed with divine love, so as to strike terror into the
powers of hell: " Like lions breathing forth fire should
we leave that table, so that we may become terrible to
the devil."4 But this is not the case. The greater num
ber depart from the altar always more tepid, more im
patient, proud, jealous, and more attached to self-esteem,
to self-interest, and to earthly pleasures. " The defect
is not in the food," 5 says Cardinal Bona. The defect
1 Introd. p. 2, ch. 14.
2 " Dicendo Eucharistiam, omnem benignitatis Dei thesaurum
aperio." — In I Cor. horn. 24.
3 " Nolite dare sanctum canibus, neque mittatis margaritas vestras
ante porcos." — Matt. vii. 6.
4 " Tamquam leones ignem spirantes ab ilia mensa recedamus.
facti diabolo terribiles." — Ad pop. Ant. horn. 61.
5 " Defectus non in cibo est, sed in edentis dispositione " — De
Sacr. M. c. 6, § 6,
214 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
does not arise from the food that they take on the altar;
for, as St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say, that
food taken once would be sufficient to make them saints,
but it arises from the little preparation that they make
for the celebration of Mass.
Preparation for Mass is twofold: remote and proxi
mate.
The remote preparation consists in the pure and vir
tuous life that a priest should lead in order to celebrate
worthily. If God required purity in the priests of the
Old Law because they had to carry the sacred vessels,
Be ye clean, you that carry the vessels of the Lord? how
much greater should be the purity and sanctity of the
priest who has to carry in his hands and in his body the
Incarnate Word, says Peter de Blois!2 But to be pure
and holy it is not enough for the priest to be exempt
from mortal sins: he must be also free from venial sins
that are fully deliberate; otherwise he shall have no
part with Jesus Christ. " Let no one," says St. Bernard,
" disregard little faults, for thus it was said to Peter,
that unless Christ purifies of them, we shall have no
part in Christ."5 Hence all the actions and words of
the priest who wishes to celebrate Mass must be holy,
and serve to prepare him for the worthy celebration of
the sacred mysteries.
For the immediate preparation, mental prayer is, in the
first place, necessary. How can the priest celebrate
Mass with devotion without having first made mental
prayer? The Venerable John d'Avila used to say that
a priest should make mental prayer for an hour or, at
least, half an hour, before Mass. I would be content
1 " Mundamini, qui fertis vasa Domini." — Is. Hi. n.
2 " Quarito mundiores esse oportet, qui in manibus et in corpore
portant Christum." — Epist. 123.
3 " Haec nemo contemnat, quoniam ut audivit Petrus nisi laverit
ea Christus, non habebimus partem cum eo." — S. in Ccena Dom.
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 215
with half an hour, or, and for some, with even a quarter
of an hour; but a quarter is too little. There are so
many beautiful books containing meditations prepara
tory to Mass, but who makes use of them ? It is through
neglect of meditation that we see so many Masses said
without devotion and with irreverence. The Mass is a
representation of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Hence
Pope Alexander I. justly said that in the Mass we should
always commemorate the Passion of our Lord.1 And
before him the Apostle said: For as often as you shall eat
this bread and drink the chalice, yon shall show the death of
the Lord until He come? According to St. Thomas,3 the
Redeemer has instituted the most holy sacrament that
we might always have a lively remembrance of the love
that he has shown us, and of the great benefits that he
obtained for us by offering himself in sacrifice on the
cross. But if all should continually remember the Pas
sion of Jesus Christ, how much more should the priest
reflect on it when he goes to renew on the altar, though
in a different manner, the same sacrifice which the Son
of God offered on the cross !
Moreover, even though he had made his meditation,
the priest should before he begins Mass always recollect
himself at least for a short time, and consider what he
is going to do. The Council of Milan, in the time of
St. Charles, ordained that all priests should do so.4 In
entering the sacristy to celebrate Mass the priest should
take leave of all worldly thoughts, and say with St.
Bernard: " Ye cares, solicitudes, earthly troubles, remain
" Inter Missarum solemnia, semper passio Domini miscenda est,
ut ejus, cujus corpus et sanguis conficitur, passio celebretur."—
Epist. i.
2 " Quotiescumque enim manducabitis Panem hunc, et Calicem
bibetis, mortem Domini annuntiabitis." — i Cor. xi. 26.
3 Offic. Corp. Chr.
4 "Antequam celebrent, se colligant, et orantes mentem in tanti
ministerii cogitatione defigant," — Const, p. 2, n. 5.
2 1 6 Material for Instructions. [PART n
here: let me go freely to my God, with all my intelli
gence and with all my heart, and when we have adored
we shall return to you; we shall return, alas! and we
shall return too soon." ' In a letter to St. Jane Chantal,
St. Francis de Sales said: When I turn to the altar to
begin Mass, I lose sight of everything on this earth.
Hence, during the celebration of Mass, the priest should
take leave of all worldly thoughts, and should think
only of the great action that he is going to perform,
and of the heavenly bread he is going to eat at the
divine table. When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince,
says Solomon, consider diligently what is set before thy
face.2 Let him consider that he is going to call from
heaven to earth the Incarnate Word; to treat with
him familiarly on the altar; to offer him again to
the eternal Father; and finally to partake of his
sacred flesh. In preparing to celebrate, Father John
d'Avila would endeavor to excite his fervor by say
ing: "I am now going to. consecrate the Son of God,
to hold him in my hands, to converse and treat with
him, and to receive him into my heart."
The priest should also consider that he ascends the
altar to perform the office of intercessor for all sinners,
says St. Laurence Justinian.3 Thus the priest on the
altar stands between God and men, presents their peti
tions, and obtains for them the divine graces, says St.
Chrysostom.4 It is for this reason, says St. Thomas,
1 "Curse, sollicitudines, servitutes, exspectate me hie, donee ego
cum puero, ratio cum intelligentia, usque illuc properantes, postquam
adoraverimus, revertamur ad vos; revertemur enim, et, heu ! rever-
temur quam citissime." — De Antore Dei, c. i.
"2 " Quando sederis ut comedas cum principe, diligenter attende
quae apposita sunt ante faciem tuam." — Prov. xxiii. i.
3 " Mediatoris gerit officium; propterea delinquentium omnium debet
esse precator." — Serm. dc Euchar.
4 " Medius stat Sacerdos inter Deum et naturam humanam, illinc
venientia beneficia ad nos deferens," — In fsaiatn, horn. 5.
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 2 1 7
that the sacrifice of the altar is called the Mass: "On
this account it is called Mass, because the priest sends
his prayers to God through the angel, and the people
send them through the priest." In the Old Law the
priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies only
once in the year; but now every priest is allowed to
immolate every day the Lamb of God, in order to obtain
the divine graces for himself and the entire people,
says St. Laurence Justinian.2 Hence, according to St.
Bonaventure, in going to celebrate, a priest should pro
pose to himself three ends: to honor God, to com
memorate the Passion of Jesus Christ, and to obtain
graces for the whole Church.3
III.
The Reverence and the Devotion with which the Priest should
Celebrate Mass.
Secondly, it is necessary to celebrate Mass with rev
erence and devotion. It is well known that the mani
ple was introduced for the purpose of wiping away the
tears of devotion that flowed from the eyes of the priest;
for in former times priests wept continually during the
celebration of Mass. It has been already said that a
priest on the altar represents the very person of Jesus
Christ, says St. Cyprian.4 There he says in the person
of Jesus Christ, hoc est corpus mcum: hie est calix sanguinis
" Propter hoc Missa nominatur, quia per Angelum Sacerdos preees
ad Deum mittit, sicut populus ad Sacerdotem." — P. 3, q. 83, a. 4.
" Ipsis profecto Sacerdotibus licet, non tantum semel in anno, ut
olim, sed diebus singulis introire Sancta Sanctorum, et tarn pro ipsis
quam pro populi reconciliatione, offerre Hostiam." — De Inst. prcel. c.
10.
3 " Tria sunt, quae celebraturus intenderedebet, scilicet: Deum colere,
Christi mortem memorari, et totam Ecclesiam juvare."— De Pra>p. ad
M. c. 9.
4 " Sacerdos vice Christi vcre fungitur." — Epist. ad Gzcil.
2 1 8 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
met. But, O God! it would be necessary to weep, and
even to shed tears of blood, at the manner in which
many priests celebrate Mass. It excites compassion to
see the contempt with which some priests and religious,
and even priests of the reformed Orders, treat Jesus
Christ on the altar. Observe with what kind of atten
tion certain priests celebrate Mass. I hope their num
ber is small. Of them we may well say what Clement
of Alexandria said of the pagan priests, that they turned
heaven into a stage, and God into the subject of the
comedy.1 But why do I say a comedy ? Oh! how great
would be their attention if they had to recite a part in
a comedy ! But with what sort of attention do they
celebrate Mass? Mutilated words; genuflexions that
appear to be acts of contempt rather than of reverence;
benedictions which I know not what to call. They
move and turn on the altar in a disrespectful manner;
they confound the words with the ceremonies which
they perform before the time prescribed by the rubrics,
although these rubrics are, according to the true opin
ion, all preceptive. For St. Pius V. in the Bull inserted
in the Missal commands us " strictly, by virtue of holy
obedience,"2 to celebrate Mass according to the rubrics
of the Missal: "According to the rite, mode, and norm
prescribed in the Missal." : Hence he who violates the
rubrics cannot be excused from sin, and he who is
guilty of a grievous neglect of them cannot be excused
from mortal sin.
'All arises from an anxiety to have the Mass soon
finished. Some say Mass with as much haste as if the
walls were about to fall, or as if they expected to be
1 "O impietatem! scenam coelum fecistis, et Deus vobis factus est
actus." — Or. ad Gent.
'2 " Districte, in virtute sanctae obedientiae."
3 " Juxta ritum, modum, ac normam, quae per Missale hoc a nobis
nunc traditur."
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 2 1 9
attacked by pirates without getting time to fly away.
Some priests spend two hours in useless conversation,
or in treating of worldly affairs, and are all haste in
celebrating Mass. As they begin the Mass without rev
erence, so they proceed to consecrate, to take Jesus
Christ in their hands, and to communicate with as much
irreverence as if the holy sacrament were common
bread. They should be told what the Venerable John
d'Avila said one day to a priest who celebrated with
haste and irreverence: " For God's sake treat him better,
for he is the Son of a good Father."
The Lord commanded the priests of the Old Law to
tremble through reverence in approaching his sanctuary:
Reverence. My sanctuary? And still we see scandalous
irreverence in priests of the New Law while they stand
at the altar in the presence of Jesus Christ; while they
converse with him, take him in their hands, offer him in
sacrifice, and eat his flesh. In the Old Law the Lord
threatened several maledictions against priests who
neglected the ceremonies of sacrifices, which were but
figures of our sacrifice. But if Thou wilt not hear the
voice of the Lord thy God, to keep . . . all His ceremonies,
.... all these curses shall come upon thee; .... cursed
shalt thou be in the city, cursed in the field? St. Teresa used
to say: " I would give my life for a ceremony of the
Church." ; And will a priest despise the ceremonies of
the holy Mass ? Suarez 4 teaches that the omission of
any ceremony prescribed in the Mass cannot be excused
from sin; and it is the opinion of many theologians, that
a notable neglect of the ceremonies may be a mortal sin.
1 " Pavete ad Sanctuarium meum." — Lev. xxvi. 2.
2 " Quod si audire nolueris vocem Domini Dei tui, ut custodias
. . . caeremonias, . . . venient super te omnes maledictiones istae.
. . . Maledictus eris in civitate, maledictus in agro." — Deut. xxviii. 15.
3 Life, ch. 33.
4 De Sacram. d. 84, s. 2.
22O Material for Instructions. [PART n.
In my Moral Theology ' I have shown, by the author
ity of many theologians, that to celebrate Mass in less
than a quarter of an hour cannot be excused from
grievous sin. This doctrine rests on two reasons: first,
the irreverence that in so short a Mass is offered to the
holy sacrifice; secondly, the scandal that is given to the
people.
As to the reverence due to the sacrifice, we have ad
duced the words of the Council of Trent, commanding
priests to celebrate Mass with the greatest possible de
votion: " All industry and diligence are to be applied
that it be performed with the greatest possible outward
show of devotion and piety." 2 The Council adds, that to
neglect even this external devotion due to the sacrifice
is a species of impiety: " Irreverence that can hardly be
separated from impiety. "; As the due performance of
the ceremonies constitutes reverence, so to perform them
badly is an irreverence which, when grievous, is a mor
tal sin. And to perform the ceremonies with the rever
ence due to so great a sacrifice, it is not enough to go
through them; for some who are very quick in their
articulation and motions may be able to perform the
ceremonies in less than a quarter of an hour, but it is
necessary to perform them with becoming gravity,
which belongs intrinsically to the reverence due to the
Mass.
To celebrate Mass in so short a time is also a grievous
sin on account of the scandal given to the people who
are present. And here it is necessary to consider what the
same Council of Trent says in another place, that the
ceremonies have been instituted by the Church in order
. mor. 1. 6, n. 400.
2 " Omnem operam ponendam esse, ut quanta maxima fieri potest
exteriori devotionis ac pietatis specie peragatur. " — Deer, de obs. in M.
3 " Irreverentia, quae ab impietate vix sejuncta esse potest." — Sess.
22.
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 221
to excite in the faithful the veneration and esteem due
to so great a sacrifice, and to the most sublime mysteries
that it contains. "The Church," says the holy Coun
cil, " has employed ceremonies, whereby both the maj
esty of so great a sacrifice might be recommended and
the minds of the faithful be excited, by those visible
signs of religion and piety, to the contemplation of
those most sublime things which are hidden in this
sacrifice." 1 But instead of inspiring reverence, these
ceremonies, when performed with great haste, diminish
and destroy the veneration of the people for so holy a
mystery. Peter de Blois says that the irreverence with
which Mass is celebrated makes people think little of
the most holy sacrament.2 This scandal cannot be ex
cused from mortal sin. Hence in the year 1583 the
Council of Tours ordained that priests should be well
instructed in the ceremonies of the Mass: " For fear that
the people intrusted to their' care, far from entertaining
veneration for our divine mysteries, might regard them
only with indifference." :
How can priests expect by Masses said with such
irreverence to obtain graces from God, when during the
oblation of these Masses they offend and dishonor him
more than they honor him ? Should a priest not believe
in the most holy sacrament of the altar, he would offend
God; but it is a still greater offence to believe in it, and to
celebrate Mass without due reverence, and thus make
the people who are present lose their veneration for the
1 " Ecclesia caeremonias adhibuit, quo et majestas tanti Sacrificii com-
mendaretur, et mentes fidelium, per haec visibilia religionis signa, ad
rerum altissimarum , quae in hoc Sacrificio latent, contemplationem ex-
citarentur." — Sess. 22, De Sacrif. M. c. 5.
2 " Ex inordinata et indisciplinata multitudine Sacerdotum, hodie
datur ostentui nostrae redemptionis venerabile Sacramentum." — Epist.
123.
3 " Ne populum sibi commissum a devotione potius revocent, quam
ad sacrorum mysteriorum venerationem invitent."
222 Material for Instructions '. [PART n.
holy sacrament. In the beginning the Jews respected
Jesus Christ, but when they saw him despised by their
priests they lost their esteem for him, and in the end
joined in the cry of the priests: "Away with this man;
crucify him!" J And in like manner, seculars, seeing a
priest treat the Mass with such irreverence, lose their
respect and veneration for it. A Mass said with rever
ence excites devotion in all who are present at it; but,
on the other hand, a Mass celebrated with irreverence
destroys devotion and even faith in those that are pres
ent. A religious of high reputation told me that a cer
tain heretic had resolved to renounce his errors, but
having been afterwards present at a Mass said without
reverence, he went to the bishop and said that he no
longer intended to abjure his heresy, because he felt
convinced that priests who celebrated Mass in such a
manner did not sincerely believe in the truth of the
Catholic Church; and added: " If I were Pope, and knew
that a priest said Mass with irreverence, I would com
mand him to be burned alive." After these words he
withdrew, resolved to continue in his heresy.
But some priests say that seculars complain when the
Mass is long. Then I ask: Shall the want of devotion in
seculars be the rule for the respect due to the Mass?
Besides, if all priests said Mass with becoming reverence
and gravity, seculars would feel the veneration due to
so great a sacrifice, and would not complain of being
obliged to spend half an hour in attending Mass.
But because Masses are frequently so short, and so little
calculated to excite devotion, seculars, after the example
of priests, attend Mass with indevotion and with little
faith; and when they find that it lasts longer than half
an hour, they, on account of the bad habit that they
have contracted, grow weary and begin to complain;
and though they spend without tediousness several
1 " Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum !"
INSTR. i.) The Celebration of Mass. 223
hours at play, or in the street, to pass the time, they feel
it tedious and fatiguing to spend half an hour in hear
ing Mass. Of this evil, priests are the cause. To you^ O
priests, that despise My name, and have said: Wherein have
we depised Thy name ? . . . In that you say: The table of the
Lord is contemptible.1 . The want of reverence with which
many priests celebrate Mass is the cause that it is
treated with contempt by others.
Poor priests! Having heard that a priest died after
celebrating his first Mass, the Venerable Father John
d'Avila said: " Oh what a terrible account shall he have
to render to God for his first Mass!" But what should
Father d'Avila say of priests who have for thirty or
forty years said Mass with haste and irreverence, so as
to scandalize all that were present at it ? And how, I
ask again, can such priests propitiate the Lord and
obtain his graces, when by celebrating in such a man
ner they insult rather than honor him ? " Since every
sin," says Pope Julius, " is wiped out by the holy sacri
fice, what would be offered to the Lord in atonement
of sin if in offering the sacrifice sin is committed ?" 2
Miserable priests! and miserable the bishop who per
mits such priests to celebrate. For, as the Council of
Trent prescribes, bishops are bound to prevent all irrev
erences in the celebration of Mass: "The holy synod
decrees that the ordinary bishops of places shall take
diligent care and be bound to prohibit irreverence,
which can hardly be separated from impiety." : Mark
1 " Ad vos, o Sacerdotes, qui despicitis nomen meum, et dixistis: In
quo despeximus nomen tuum ? . . . In eo quod dicitis: Mensa Domini
despecta est." — Mai. i. 6.
2 " Cum omne crimen sacrifices deleatur, quid pro delictorum ex-
piatione Domino dabitur, quando in ipsa sacrificii oblatione erratur?"-
Cap. Cum omne, de Consecr. dist. 2.
3 " Decernit sancta synodus, ut Ordinarii locorum eaomnia prohibere
sedulo curent ac teneantur, quse irreverentia (quae ab impietate vix
sejuncta esse potest) induxit." — Sess. 22, Deer, de obs. in M.
224 Material for Instructions. [PARTII.
the words, shall take diligent care and be bound ; they are
bound to suspend the priest who celebrates without due
reverence. And this they are obliged to do even with
regard to regulars; for in this every bishop is constituted
a delegate of the Apostolic See, and is therefore bound
to seek for information regarding 1,he manner in which
Mass is celebrated in his diocese.
And let us, dearly beloved priests, endeavor to amend,
if we have hitherto offered this great sacrifice with a
want of reverence and devotion. Let us, at least from
this day forward, repair the evil we have done. Let us,
in preparing for Mass, reflect on the nature of the action
that we are going to perform: in celebrating Mass we
perform an action the most sublime and holy that man
can perform. Ah, what blessings does a Mass, said with
devotion, bring on him who offers it, and on those that
hear it ! With regard to the priest who offers it, the
Disciple writes: " Prayer is more quickly heard when
recited in the presence of a priest saying Mass." ' * Now,
if God hears more speedily the prayers which a secular
offers in the presence of a priest celebrating Mass, how
much more readily will he hear the prayers of the priest
himself if he celebrates with devotion ! He who offers
the holy Mass every day with devotion shall always re
ceive new lights and new strength from God. Jesus
1 "Oratio citius exauditur in ecclesia in praesentia Sacerdotis cele-
brantis."
* Such is the citation given by our author, but here is what we read
in the sermon mentioned as of John Herold, called The Disciple, speak
ing of the fruits of Mass granted to him that hears it: " Oratio tua citius
exauditur in ecclesia in praesentia Dei, et etiam oratio Sacerdotis cele-
brantis; quia quilibet Sacerdos in qualibet Missa tenetur orare pro cir-
cumstantibus." — De Sanctis, s. 48. (Prayer, as well as the prayer of
the priest celebrating, is more quickly heard in the church in the presence
of God ; because every priest is obliged at every Mass to pray for those
that are present.) — ED.
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 225
Christ will always infuse increased knowledge and con
solation; he will encourage him, and grant him the
graces that he desires. A priest may feel assured, par
ticularly after the consecration, that he shall receive
from Jesus Christ all the graces he asks. The Venerable
Father D. Anthony de Colellis, of the Congregation of
the Pious Workers, used to say: "When I celebrate and
hold Jesus Christ in my hands I obtain whatsoever I
wish for." With regard to him who celebrates, and to
those that hear Mass, it is related in the life of St. Peter
of Alcantara that the Mass that he so devoutly cele
brated produced more fruit than all the sermons
preached in the province in which he lived. The Coun
cil of Rhodes commanded priests to show their faith
and devotion towards Jesus Christ by pronouncing the
words with piety, and performing the ceremonies with
reverence and devotion towards Jesus Christ, who is
present in the Mass.1 The external deportment, says
St. Bonaventure, is what shows the interior dispositions
of the celebrant.2 And here let us call to mind, in pass
ing, the command of Innocent III.: "We also command
that the oratories, vases, corporals, and vestments should
be kept clean; for it seems to be absurd to neglect in so
holy actions what would be unbecoming in profane
actions."1 O God! the Pontiff has too much reason
to speak in this manner; for some priests have no re
pugnance to celebrate with corporals, purificators, and
chalices which they could not bear to use at table.
1 " Actio et pronuntiatio ostendat fidem et intentionem quam (Sacer-
dos) habere debet de Christi et Angelorum in Sacrificio praesentia."
'2 " Intrinsecos motus gestus exterior attestatur. — Spec. disc. p. 2, c. I.
3 " Prsecipimus quoque ut oratoria, vasa, corporalia, et vestimenta,
munda, et nitida conserventur; nimis enim videtur absurdum in sacris
sordes negligere, quae dedecerent etiam in profanis." — Tit. 44, can. i,
Relinqui.
15
226 Material for Instructions. CPARTII.
IV.
Thanksgiving after Mass.
In the third place, after Mass thanksgiving is neces
sary. The thanksgiving should terminate only with the
day. St. John Chrysostom says that for every trifling
favor that they confer upon us men expect that we
should show our gratitude by making some return.
How much more grateful should we be to God, who
expects no recompense for his gifts, but wishes us to
thank him solely for our welfare ! ' If, continues the
saint, we are not able to thank the Lord as much as he
deserves, let us at least thank him as much as we can.
But what a misery to see so many priests who, after
Mass, say a few short prayers in the sacristy, without
attention or devotion, and then begin to speak on use-
ess subjects or on worldly business, or perhaps leave
the church immediately after Mass, and carry Jesus
Christ into the street ! They should be treated in the
manner in which Father John d'Avila once acted toward
a priest who left the church immediately after celebrat
ing Mass. He sent two ecclesiastics with lighted torches
to accompany him; when asked by the priest why they
followed him, they answered: "We accompany the
most Holy Sacrament which you carry in your breast."
To such priests we may well apply the words of St.
Bernard to the Archdeacon Fulcone: "How is it pos
sible that you so quickly grow tired of Christ?"2 O
God ! how can you become so soon weary of the com
pany of Jesus Christ, who is within you?
So many books of devotion exhort thanksgiving after
1 "Si homines parvum beneficium pnestiterint, exspectant a nobis
gratitudinem; quanto magis id nobis faciendum in iis quae a Deoaccepi-
mus, qui hoc solum ob nostrum utilitatem vult fieri?" — /;/ Gen, horn. 26.
2 " Heu ! quomodo Christum tarn cito fastidis?" — Epist. 2.
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 227
Mass; but how many priests make it? It is easy to
point to those who practise it. Some make mental
prayer, recite many vocal prayers, but spend little or
no time with Jesus Christ after Mass. They might at
least continue in prayer as long as the consecrated
species remain within their breast. Father John d'Avila
used to say that we ought to set great value on the time
after Mass; he ordinarily spent two hours in recollection
with God after celebrating Mass.
After Communion the Lord dispenses his graces most
abundantly. St. Teresa said that then Jesus Christ re
mains in the soul as on a throne of grace, and says to
her: "What do you wish that I should do for you ?" '
Besides, it is necessary to know that, according to the
opinion of Suarez,2 Gonet,3 and many other theologians,
the more the soul disposes herself by good acts, while
the consecrated species remain, the greater the fruit she
derives from the holy Communion. For, as the Council
of Florence4 teaches, this sacrament has been instituted
in the form of food, and therefore as the longer earthly
food remains in the stomach the more nutriment it
gives to the body so the longer this heavenly food con
tinues in the body the more it nourishes the soul with
grace, provided there be corresponding dispositions in
the communicant. This increase of grace is the more
confidently to be expected, because during that time
every good act has greater value and merit; for the soul
is then united with Jesus Christ, as he himself has said:
He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in
Me, and I in him* And according to St. John Chrysos-
1 " Quid vis ut tibi faciam ?"
2 De Sacram. disp. 63, sect. 7.
3 Man. Thorn, p. 3, tr. 4, c. 9.
4 Deer, ad Arm.
6 "Qui manducat meam carnem, et bibit meum sanguinem, in me
manet, et ego in illo."— -John, vi. 57.
228 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
torn, the soul is then made one thing with Jesus Christ.'
Hence, good acts are then more meritorious, because
they are performed by the soul while she is united with
Jesus Christ.
But, on the other hand, St. Bernard tells us that the
Lord will not lose his graces by giving them to the un
grateful.2 Let us then remain, at least for half an hour,
with Jesus Christ after Mass ; or at least for a quarter.
But, O God ! a quarter of an hour is too little. We
should remember that from the day of his ordination
the priest belongs no longer to himself, but to God, says
St. Ambrose.3 And before him God himself said the
same: They offer the burnt-offering of the Lord, and the
bread of their God, and therefore they shall be holy,'
V.
The Priest who Abstains from saying Mass.
Some abstain through humility from the celebration
of Mass. A word on this subject. To abstain from say
ing Mass through humility is a good act, but it is not
the most perfect: acts of humility give God a finite
honor, but the Mass gives him infinite honor, because
this honor is offered by a divine person. Attend to the
words of Venerable Bede. " A priest who without an
important reason omits to say Mass robs the Blessed
Trinity of glory, the angels of joy, sinners of pardon,
the just of divine assistance, the souls in purgatory of
refreshment, the Church of a benefit, and himself of a
medicine." '' St. Cajetan, while in Naples, heard that a
1 " Ipsa re nos suum efficit corpus." — Ad pop. Ant. hom. 60.
2 " Numquid non perit, quod donatur ingrato?" — /;/ Cant. s. 51.
3 " Verus minister altaris, Deo, non sibi, natus est." — In Ps. 118, s. 8.
4 " Incensum enim Domini et panes Dei sui offerunt, et ideo sancti
erunt." — Lev. xxi. 6.
5 " Cum Sacerdos, non habens legitimum impedimentum, celebrare
omittit, quantum in se est, privat Trinitatem gloria, Angelos laetitia,
INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 229
Cardinal in Rome, a particular friend, who was ac
customed to say Mass every day, had begun to omit it
on account of his occupations. The saint resolved to
go, and actually went to Rome, in the burning heat of
summer, at the risk of his life, in order to persuade his
friend to resume his former custom.
The Venerable John d'Avila, as we read in his life,
going one day to say Mass in a hermitage, felt himsen
so feeble that he began to despair of being able to reach
the place, which was at a distance, and intended to omit
Mass; but Jesus Christ appeared to him in the form of 3
pilgrim, uncovered his breast, showed him his wounds,
and particularly the wound in his side, and said to hinr.
"When I was wounded, I felt more fatigued and feeble
than you are." He then disappeared: Father d'Avila
took courage, went to the oratory, and celebrated Mass
peccatores venia, justos subsidio, in purgatorio existentes refrigerio
Ecclesiam beneficio, et seipsum medicina." — Dt Pr<zp. ad M. c. 5.
230 Material for Instructions. [PART 11.
INSTRUCTION II.
THE GOOD EXAMPLE THAT THE PRIEST SHOULD GIVE.
JESUS CHRIST has instituted two orders in his church:
one, of the simple faithful; the other, of ecclesiastics:
but with this difference, that the former are disciples
and sheep, the latter are masters and shepherds. To
the laity St. Paul says: Obey your prelates, and be subject to
them. For they watch as being to render an account of your
souls.1 And to ecclesiastics St. Peter has said: Feed the
flock of God which is among you? And in another place
we read: Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock
wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the
church of God?
Hence St. Augustine has well said, that " there is
nothing more difficult, nothing more dangerous, than
the office of priest."1 The difficulty and danger of the
office of a priest arise precisely from his obligation to
lead a holy life, not only by interior, but also by exterior
sanctity, that others may learn from him, holiness of
life. " If the one that is over thee is good, he will be thy
nurse; if bad, he will be thy tempter," writes the same
saint.6 The Scripture says that in Jerusalem the people
lived in holiness because of the godliness of Onias the high-
1 "Obedite praepositis vestris, et subjacete eis; ipsi enim pervigilant,
quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri." — Heb, xiii. 17.
2 " Pascite, qui in vobis est, gregem Dei." — i Pet. v. 2.
3 " Attendite vobis et universo gregi, in quo vos Spiritus Sanctus
posuit episcopus, regere Ecclesiam Dei." — Acts, xx. 28.
4 Epist. 21, E. B.
5 " Bonus si fuerit, qui tibi praeest, nutritor tuus est; malus si fuerit,
tentator tuus est,." — Serm. 12, E. B.
INSTR. ii.] Good Example of the Priest. 231
priest.' And according to the Council of Trent, " The
integrity of those who govern is the safety of the
governed.'" But, on the other hand, how great the
havoc, how strong the temptations, caused by the bad
example of a priest ! My people, says the Lord, by the
mouth of the prophet Jeremias, have been a lost flock; their
shepherds have caused them to go astray.'3 " God," writes St.
Gregory, " suffers from no one more than from priests
whom he has appointed for the salvation of others, and
whom he sees giving bad example."1 St. Bernard says
" that seculars, seeing the sinful life of the priest, think
no more of amending their conduct, but begin to despise
the sacraments, and the rewards and punishments of the
next life." "Very many," writes the holy Doctor, "be
holding the wicked life of an ecclesiastic, indulge in
vices, despise the sacraments, feel no horror of hell, nor
the smallest desire of heavenly things."1 For, like the
man of whom St. Augustine writes, they say: "Why do
you correct me? Do not ecclesiastics do what I do?
And do you compel me to abstain from it ?" c Our Lord
said to St. Bridget: " At the sight of the bad example of
the priest the sinner assumes confidence in sinning, and
begins to boast of sins which he before regarded as
shameful." '' " Priests in the Church," says St. Gregory,
1 " Propter Oniae pontificis pietatem." — 2 Much. iii. i.
2 '' Integritas praesidentium salus est subditorum." — Scss. 6, de Ref.
c, i.
3 ' ' Grex perditus factus est populus meus; pastores eorum seduxerunt
eos." — Jcf. 1' 6.
4 " Nullum majus prsejudicium, quam a Sacerdotibus, tolerat Deus,
quando eos, quos ad aliorum correctionem posuit, dare de se exempla
pravitatis cernit." — In Evang. horn. 17.
5 " Plurimi, considerantes cleri sceleratam vitam, Sacramenta despici-
unt, vitia non evitant, non horrent inferos, coelestia minime concupis-
cunt." — T. I. s. 19, a. 2, c. i.
6 " Quid mihi loqueris ? Ipsi clerici non illud faciunt, et me cogis ut
faciam ?"— Scrm. 137, E. JR.
1 ''Viso exemplo pravo Sacerdotum, peccator fiduciam peccandi su.-
232 Material for Instriictions. [PART n.
"are the foundations of the Church." ' When the foun
dations give way the whole edifice falls. Hence, in the
ordination of priests, the holy Church prays for them in
the following words: " May they shine before others by
showing an example of justice, constancy, mercy, and
other virtues."2 Priests ought not only to be holy, but
they should also show forth sanctity in their lives: for,
says St. Augustine, as a good conscience is necessary for
a priest to save his own soul, so he requires a good repu
tation in order to save his neighbor; otherwise, though
he might be merciful and attentive to himself, he would
be cruel towards others, and thus should bring himself
and them to perdition.3 God has selected priests from
among men, not only that they may offer sacrifices, but
also that by the good odor of their virtues they may
edify the rest of the Church. He chose him out of all men
living^ to offer sacrifice to God, incense, and a good savor?
Priests are the salt of the earth.5 "Then," says the
Gloss, " priests should give a savor to others, and render
them grateful to God, instructing them in the practice
of virtue, not only by preaching, but still more by the
example of a holy life."'
Priests are also the light of the world.7 The priest,
then, as our divine Master proceeds to say, should shine
refulgent among the people by the splendor of his
mit, et incipit de peccato, quod prius putabat erubescibile, gloriari." —
Rev. 1. 4, c. 132.
1 " Sacerdotes in Ecclesia, bases in templo." — /;/ Evang. horn. 17.
'2 ' ' Justitiam, constantiam, misericordiam, fortitudinem, caeterasque
virtutes, in se ostendant; exemplo praeeant."
3 " Conscientia tibi, fama proximo tuo; qui, fidens conscientiae tuae,
negligit famam suam, crudelis est." — Serin. 355, E. B.
4 " Ipsum elegit ab omni vivente, offerre sacrificium Deo, incensum,
et bonum odorem." — Ecclns. xlv. 20.
5 " Vos estis sal terroe."— Matt. v. 14.
6 " Condientes alios doctrina et vitae exemplo."
* " Vos estis lux mundL" — Matt. \. 13.
INSTR. n.i Good Example of the Priest. 233
virtues, and thus give glory to that God who has con
ferred on him an honor so singular and sublime. So,
said the Redeemer, let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven' Of this obligation St. John Chrysostom reminds
priests. "Therefore," says the saint, "has God chosen
us that we may be luminaries."' Pope Nicholas has
written the same, saying that priests are the stars that
enlighten the people on every side.3 "They are," said
the Pontiff, according to the words of Daniel, they that
instruct many to justice shall shine as stars for all eternity,
" stars shedding light on their neighbors, far and wide." 4
But, to be a luminary, it is not enough for the priest to
enlighten by his words: he must also give light by his
good example. " For the life of a priest," as St. Charles
Borromeo used to say, " is precisely the beacon on which
seculars, navigating in the midst of the ocean and dark
ness of the world, keep their eyes fixed in order to escape
destruction." And before him St. John Chrysostom
said: "The priest ought to lead a life of order, that all
may look to him as to an excellent model; for God has
chosen us, that we might be, as it were, luminaries
and teachers to others. "! The life of the priest is the
light that is placed on the candlestick to give light to
all. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the
1 " Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, ut videant opera vestra
bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in coelis est." — Matt, v. 16.
2 " Idcirco nos elegit, ut simus quasi luminaria." — In 1 Tim. horn. 10.
3 " Stellae longe lateque proximos illuminantes." — Ep. ad Synod.
Silvan.
4 " Fulgebunt . . . qui ad justitiam erudiunt multos, quasi stellar in
perpetuas aeternitates. " — Dan. xii. 3.
5 " Sacerdos debet vitam habere compositam, ut omnes in ilium veluti
in exemplar excellens intueantur; idcirco enim Deus nos elegit, ut simus
quasi luminaria et magistri caeterorum." — In i Tim. horn. 10..
234 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
house.1 Hence the Council of Bordeaux said: "The life
of clerics is so exposed to the eyes of all, that all will be
inspired by them to lead either a good or a bad life."'
The priest, then, is the light of the world; but if the
light be changed into darkness, what must become of
the world ?
Priests are also, as St. Jerome calls them, the fathers
of Christians.3 "If then," adds St. John Chrysostom,
"priests are the fathers of all, it is their duty to attend
to all their spiritual children, edifying them first by a
holy life, and afterwards by salutary instructions."* If
he give bad example, his spiritual children will imitate
him. "What," says Peter de Blois, " will a layman do
but what he has seen done by his spiritual father ? " 5
Priests are also the teachers and models of virtue.
Our Saviour said to his disciples: As the Father hath sent
Me, I also send you? As the eternal Father, then, sent
Jesus Christ into the world to be a model for imitation,
so Jesus Christ has placed priests in the world to be
patterns of all virtues. This the very words sacerdos
and presbyter signify. Sacerdos, says Peter de Blois,
"means one that gives what is holy, for he gives what
is holy of God, that is the sacrament; he gives what is
holy for God, that is a good example." ' Another author
1 ' Neque accendunt lucernam, et ponunt earn sub modio, sed super
candelabrum, ut luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt."
2 " Clerici vita omnium oculis sic exposita est, ut inde bene vel male
vivendi exempla duci soleant." — Anno 1583, c. 21.
3 " Patres christianorum."
4 " Quasi totius orbis pater Sacerdos est; dignum igitur est ut omnium
curam agat." — In i Tim. horn. 6.
5 "Quid faciet laicus, nisi quod patrem suum spiritualem viderit fa-
cientem ?" — Serm. 57.
6 " Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos." — John, xx. 21.
7 " Sacerdos dicitur quasi sacrum dans: dat enim sacrum de Deo, id
est, praedicationem; sacrum Deo, orationem; sacrum Dei, carnem et san-
guinem; sacrum pro Deo, vivendi exemplum." — Scrm. 38.
INSTR. ii.] . Good Example of the Priest, 235
says that the word presbyter signifies "one who shows to
the people (by word and example) the way from exile
to the kingdom of heaven."1 This, the Apostle has
taught: In all things show thyself an example, . . . that he
who is on the contrary part may be afraid, having no evil to say
of us? St. Peter Damian says that the Lord has separated
priests from the laity that they may observe a rule of
life different from that which the people follow.3 And
from this rule seculars learn to lead a life of virtue.
Hence St. Peter Chrysologus calls the priest "the form
of virtues."4 And, addressing a priest, St. John Chry-
sostom has said: "Let the splendor of your life be the
common school and model of virtues."' This, as St.
Bernard writes, the sacerdotal ministry itself demands.6
In order to see the people sanctified, David prayed to
the Lord in the following words: Let Thy priests be clothed
with justice, and let Thy saints rejoice? To be clothed with
justice, the priest must give an example of every virtue,
of zeal, of humility, of charity, of modesty, etc. In a word,
St. Paul says, that we priests should, by holiness of life,
show ourselves to be true ministers of the God of holi
ness. But in all things let its exhibit ourselves as the minis
ters of God, . . . in chastity, in knowledge, in long-suffering,
etc.8 And before him Jesus Christ taught the same: If
1 "Presbyter dicitur prsebens iter, scilicet populo, de exsilio hujus
mundi ad patriam ccelestis regni." — Gemma an. 1. I, c. 181.
a " In omnibus teipsum praebe exemplum, . . . ut is qui ex adverse
est, vereatur, nihil habens malum dicere de nobis." — Tit. ii. 8.
z " Ut quid enim a populo (Sacerdotes) segregantur, nisi ut divisam a
populo vivendi regulam teneant?" — Opiisc, 18, d. 2, c. 2.
4 " Forma virtutem." — Serm. 26.
5 " Sit communis omnibus schola exemplarque virtutum vitse tuee
splendor." — In Tit. hom. 4.
6 "Cathedram sanctitatis exigit ministerium hoc."
7 "Sacerdotes tui induantur justitiam, et sancti tui exsultent." — Ps,
cxxxi. g.
8 " In omnibus exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros, ... in
castitate, in scientia, in longanimitate . ., ." — 2 Cor. vi. 4.
236 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
any man minister to Me, let him follow Me.1 Hence priests
should copy in their life the example of Jesus Christ, so
that, as St. Ambrose says, they may give such edification
that every one that beholds them may bear testimony to
their sanctity, and venerate that God who has such
ministers.2 Hence Minutius Felix writes, that we priests
should make ourselves known as priests, not by splendor
of dress nor by ornaments of the head, but by modesty
and innocence of life.3 Priests are placed in the world
to wash away the stains of others. Hence, says St.
Gregory, they must be holy, and appear holy.4
The priest is the leader of the people 5 says St. Peter
Damian. But, according to St Denis, no one should
dare to become a guide to others in what relates to
God, unless he himself be made in all things like to
God.6 And Philip the Abbot said: " The life of eccle
siastics is the form of the laity; the former should go
before as leaders, and the latter follow as flocks."7 St.
Augustine calls priests, the rulers of the earth.8 " He,
then, who is placed over others for their correction
must be irreprehensible," says Pope Hormisdas.9 And
" Si quis mihi ministrat, me sequatur." — John, xii. 26.
2 " Docet actuum nostrorum testem esse publicam existimationem, ut,
qui videt ministrum congruis ornatum virtutibus Dominum veneretur,
qui tales servulos habeat." — DC Offic. 1. i, c. 50.
3 " Nos, non notaculo corporis, sed innocentiae ac modestiae signo
facile dignoscimus." — Octav. c. 9.
4 "Necesse est ut esse munda studeat manus, quae diluere aliorum
sordes curat." — Past. p. 2, c. 2.
5 "Sacerdos, dux exercitus Domini." — Opusc. 25, c. 2.
6 " In divino omni non audendum aliis ducem fieri, nisi secundum
omnem habitum suum factus sit deiformissimus et Deo simillimus."-
De Eccl. Hicr. c. 3. — S. Thomas, Suppl. q. 36, a. i.
1 " Vita clericorum forma est laicorum, ut illi tamquam duces pro-
grediantur, isti vero tamquam gregessequantur." — De Dignit. cler, c. 2.
8 " Rectores terrae."
9 " Irreprehensibiles esse convenit, quos praeesse necesse est cor-
rigendis." — Ep. ad Episc. Hispan.
INSTR. ii.] Good Example of the Priest. 237
according to the Council of Pisa, " as ecclesiastics enjoy
an exalted dignity, so they ought to shine with the light
of virtues, and profess a kind of life which may excite
others to sanctity." ] For, as St. Leo has written, " The
integrity of those that preside is the salvation of the
subjects." 2
St. Gregory of Nyssa calls the priest a teacher of
sanctity.3 But if the master exhibit pride, how can he
teach humility? If he be vindictive, how can he incul
cate meekness? " He,"*says .St. Isidore, " who is ap
pointed to instruct the people must be holy in all
things."4 And if our Lord has said to all: Be you there
fore, perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect? how
much more, says Salvian, will he demand perfection
from priests, who are to teach all the people?6 How
can he inflame others with the love of God unless he
shows by his works that his own heart burns with that
holy fire ? " He," says Gregory, " who does not burn,
does not inflame ?" 7 and St. Bernard writes, that to him
who loves not, the language of love is a strange and
barbarous tongue.8 Hence St. Gregory says that the
priest who does not give good example will bring con-
1 " Ecclesiastic}, quemadmodum eminent gradu, sic lurnine virtutum
praelucere debent, et profited genus vivendi, quod alios excitet ad sanc-
titatem. "
2 "Integritas praesidentium salus est subditorum." — Ep. ad Episc.
A Jr. c. i.
3 " Doctor pietatis." — In Baptism. Chr.
4 " Qui in erudiendis atque instituendis ad virtutem populis praeerit,
necesse est ut in omnibus sanctus sit." — DC Off. Eccl. 1. 2, c. 5.
5 " Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et Pater vester ccelestis perfectus
est." — Matt. v. 48.
6 "Si viris in plebe positis tam perfectam Deus vivendi regulam de-
dit, quanto esse illos perfectiores jubet, a quibus omnes docendi sunt
ut possint esse perfecti!" — Ad Eccl. Cat hoi. 1. 2.
1 " Lucerna quse non ardet, non accendit." — In Ezech. horn. n.
8 " Lingua amoris, ei qui non amat, barbara est." — In Cant. s. 79.
238 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
tempt on his preaching,1 and on all his spiritual func
tions, says St. Thomas.2 The Council of Trent ordains
that they only are to be admitted to the priesthood who
are "conspicuous for piety and chasteness of morals, as
that a shining example of good works and a lesson how
to live maybe expected from them.": But observe,
that good example should be first expected, and after
wards salutary instructions; the Council calls good ex
ample a perpetual kind of preaching.4 Priests, then,
should preach, first by example, and afterwards by
words, " Their life," says St. Augustine, " must be a
sermon of salvation to others." 5 And St. John Chry-
sostom writes: "Good example gives forth a louder
sound than trumpets, . . . for people pay more atten
tion to our deeds than to our words."6 Hence St.
Jerome said to Nepotianus: " Let not works confound
your preaching, lest when you speak in the church every
one should tacitly answer, Why, then, do you yourself
not practise what you preach ?" 7 St. Bernard has writ
ten: "You will give power to ytmr voice when people
see that you have previously taken the advice yourself
before you have given it to others; for action is more
1 " Cujus vita despicitur, restat ut ejus prsedicatio contemnatur." — In
Evang. horn. 12.
2 " Et eadem ratione, omnia spiritualia exhibita." — Suppl. q. 36, a.
4-
3 ' ' Ita pietate ac castis moribus conspicui, ut pneclarum bonorum
operum exemplum et vitae monita ab eis possint expectari." — Sess. 23,
de Ref. c. 14.
4 " Est perpetuum praedicandi genus."
5 " Quorum vita aliorum debet esse salutis praedicatio." — Serm. 291,
E. B. app.
6 " Bona exempla voces edunt omni tuba clariores." — In Matt. horn.
15-
1 " Non confundant opera tua sermonem tuum, ne, cum in ecclesia
loqueris, tacitus quilibet respondeat: Cur ergo haec, quaedicis, ipse non
facis ?" — Ep. ad Nepotian.
INSTR. ii.] Good Example of the Priest. 239
powerful than speaking." To persuade others, the
preacher must show that he himself is convinced of the
truth of his doctrine; but how can he evince such a con
viction when his conduct is in opposition to his preach
ing ? " He," says the author of the Imperfect Work,
" who neglects to practise what he teaches, teaches not
others, but condemns himself." 2 The sermon, says St.
Gregory, which is commended by the life of the preacher
persuades and moves.3 Men believe the eyes sooner
than the ears, that is, they are convinced more easily by
the examples that they see than by the words that they
hear. " Since," says an ancient Council, " men believe
the eyes rather than the ears, it is necessary for a priest
to give good example, as well in dress as in all his
actions." "
Priests are, as the Council of Trent says, the mirrors
of the world, in which all look at themselves, and from
which they take examples for the regulation of their life:
" Others fix their eyes upon them as upon a mirror, and
derive from them what they are to imitate." 5 And
long before the holy Council, St. Gregory said the same:
" The priest should shine before others by good example,
for the people see in him, as in a mirror, what they must
do, what they must avoid." G And the Apostle writes: We
1 " Dabis voci tuse vocem virtutis, si, quod suades, priiis tibi illud
cognosceris persuasisse. Validior operis quam oris vox." — In Cant. s.
59-
2 " Qui non facit quod docet, non alium docet, sed semetipsum con-
demnat." — Horn. 10.
a " Ilia vox libentius auditorum corda penetrat, quam dicentis vita
commendat." — Past. p. 2, c. 3.
" Quoniam magis oculis quam auribus credunt homines, necesse est
ut Sacerdos bonum praebeat exemplum, tarn in vestitu quam in reliquis
actionibus."
5 " In eos tamquam in speculum reliqui oculos conjiciunt, ex iisque
sumunt quod imitentur." — Sess. 22, de Ref. c. I.
6 " Decet Sacerdotem moribus clarescere, quatenus in eo, tamquam
in vitae suae speculo, plebs, et eligere quod sequatur, et videre possit
quod corrigat." — Epist. 1 7, ind. i, ep. 32.
240 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.1
Everything belonging to the priest demands sanctity.
" The clerical dress," says St. Jerome, " the state of life,
require of him sanctity of life."1 According to St. Eu-
cherius, priests bear the weight of the whole world, that
is, they are bound by their obligations to save all souls.
But how are they to save them ? By the power of their
sanctity and holy example.3 Hence the Council of Valen-
tia said: " By the gravity of his dress, by his looks and
words, the priest should show that he is a model of dis
cipline and modesty."' The priest should then, in the
first place, exhibit gravity in his dress: but can priests
give an example of modesty, if, instead of wearing the
clerical costume, they display vanity and extravagance
in their apparel? Secondly, the priest should exhibit
gravity in his countenance: in order to set an example
of modesty, he must keep his eyes cast down, not only
when he is on the altar and in the church, but also in
all places in which there are women. Thirdly, to ex
hibit gravity in his words, he must carefully abstain
from uttering certain worldly maxims, and certain jests
that are contrary to modesty. The Fourth Council of
Carthage ordained that the ecclesiastic who indulges in
immodest jests should be suspended from his office.5
But you may ask, What harm is there in such jests?
"Words," says St. Bernard, that are jests among secu
lars are in the mouth of a priest blasphemies which
1 "Spectaculum facti sumus mundo, et Angelis et hominibus." — i
Cor. iv. 9.
"2 " Clamat vestisclericalis, clamat status professi animi sanctitatem."
3 " Hi onus totius orbis portant humeris sanctitatis. " — Horn, de
Dedic. eccl.
4 " Sacerdos de religione sua, in habitus, vultus, acsermonis gravitate,
talem se exhibere studeat, ut se formam discipline ac modestiae infun-
dat." — Anno 855, can. 15.
5 " Clericus verbis turpibus jocularis ab officio removendus."— Cap.
60.
INSTR. ii.] Good Example of the Priest. 241
excite horror.1 The saint adds: "You have dedicated
your mouth to the Gospel; but to open it for such
things is not allowed: to accustomed one's self to doing
so would be a sacrilege." ; St. Jerome writes: "All that
does not edify the hearers is dangerous to those that
say it."3 Some things that are trifling in seculars are
criminal in a priest; for every bad example by which he
leads others into sin is in him a grievous transgression.
" What is for the people only a venial sin," says Peter
de Blois, " is criminal in the priest, because every fault
of the shepherd becomes mortal by the scandal that
accompanies it." *
St. Gregory Nazianzen writes: "Spots on a garment
are more visible, the more beautiful the garment." 5 In a
splendid garment stains are most conspicuous, and pro
duce great deformity.
It is also necessary for the priest to abstain from every
species of detraction. St. Jerome says that some re
nounce other vices, but they appear to think it impos
sible to give up the sin of detraction.6 It is also neces
sary to avoid familiar intercourse with seculars. The
conversations of seculars breathe an infectious air,
which, as St. Basil says, gradually destroys the health
of the soul.7 Finally, the priest must abstain from cer
tain secular amusements, at which the presence of an
1 " Inter saeculares, nugse sunt; in ore Sacerdotis, blasphemise."
2 " Consecrasti os tuum Evangelic; talibus aperire, illicitum; as-
suescere, sacrilegum." — De Cons. 1. 2, c. 13.
3 " Omne quod non aedificat, in periculum vertitur loquentium."
4 " Quod veniale est plebi, criminale est Sacerdoti. Quod erroneum
est ovi, peremptorium est pastori." — Ad Past, in syn. s. 3.
5 " Splendidae vestis manifestiores sunt maculae." — Orat. 31.
6 " Qui ab aliis vitiis recesserunt, in istud tamen, quasi in extremum
diaboli laqueum, incidunt." — Ep. ad Celant.
1 " Sicut in pestilentibus locis sensim attractus aer morbum injicit,
sic in prava conversatione mala hauriuntur, etiamsi statim incommo
dum non sentiatur. " — Horn. Quod D, non sit auct. maL
16
242 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
ecclesiastic does not give edification, such as profane
comedies, balls and parties where women are present.
But, on the other hand, the priest ought to be seen at
prayer in the church, making thanksgiving after Mass,
and visiting the Blessed Sacrament, and the images
of the divine mother. Some perform these devotions in
private, lest they might be seen by others; but it is bet
ter for priests to perform them in public, not to seek
praise, but to give good example, and thereby induce
others to praise God. That they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.1
1 " Videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in
coelis est." — Matt. v. 16.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 243
INSTRUCTION III.
THE CHASTITY OF THE PRIEST.
I.
The Merit of this Virtue, and its Necessity for the Priest.
No price is worthy of a continent soul.1 In comparison
with a chaste soul, all the riches, all the titles and
dignities of the earth are contemptible. Chastity is
called by St. Ephrem the life of the spirit; * by St. Peter
Damian, the queen of virtues;3 and by St. Cyprian, the
acquisition of triumphs.4 He who conquers the vice
opposed to chastity, easily subdues all other vices; and,
on the other hand, the man who submits to the tyranny
of impurity, easily falls into many other vices, into
hatred, injustice, sacrilege, etc.
Chastity, says St. Ephrem, changes a man into an
angel.5 St. Bernard says, " Chastity makes an angel of
man."' And according to St. Ambrose, " he who has
preserved chastity is an angel: he who has lost it is a
devil."7 The chaste, who live at a distance from all
carnal pleasures, are justly assimilated to the angels:
They shall be as the angels of God in heaven* The angels
are pure by nature, but the chaste are pure by virtue.
1 " Omnis autem ponderatio non est digna continentis animae." —
Ecchis. xxvi. 20.
2 " Vita spiritus."
3 " Regina virtutum."
4 " Acquisitio triumphorum."
5 "O castitas, quae homines Angelis similes reddis!" — De Castit.
6 " Castitas angelum de homine facit." — De Mor. ct Off. Ep. c. 3.
7 " Castitas angelos facit: qui earn servavit, angehisest; quiperdidit,
diabolus." — De Virg. 1. i.
8 " Et erunt sicut Angeli Dei." — Matt. xxii. 30.
244 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
" Through the merit of this virtue," says Cassian,
" men are like unto angels." ' And St. Bernard asserts
that a chaste man differs from an angel only in felic
ity, not in virtue; and although the chastity of the
angel is more blissful, that of man is stronger.2 St.
Basil adds, that chastity renders man like to God, who
is a pure spirit.3
Chastity is not more excellent than it is necessary for
the attainment of salvation. But for priests it is specially
necessary. For the priests of the Old Law the Lord
ordered so many white vestments and ornaments, and
so many external purifications, as symbols of bodily
purity, merely because they were to touch the sacred
vessels, and because they were a figure of the priests of
the New Law, who were to handle and to immolate the
most sacred flesh of the Incarnate Word. Hence St.
Ambrose has written: "If of the figure such chastity
was asked, how much more will it be asked of the real
ity ?" 4 On the other hand, God ordained that the priests
who were habitually infected with eruptions on the
skin, the symbols of impurity, should be cast off from
the altar: Neither shall he approach to minister to Him, . . .
if he have a pearl in his eye, or a continual scab? " But
1 " Hujus virtutis merito, homines Angelis aequantur." — De Cccnob.
Inst. 1. 6, c. 6.
2 " Differunt quidem inter se Angeluset homo pudicus, sed felicitate,
non virtute; sed, etsi illius castitas felicior, hujus tamen fortior esse
cognoscitur." — De Mor. et Off. Ep. c. 3.*
3 " Pudicitia hominem Deosimillimum facit." — De Vera Virginit.
4 " Si in figura tanta observantia, quanta in veritate ?" — De Offic. 1.
i, c. 50.
5 "Nee accedet ad ministerium ejus, ... si albuginem habens in
oculo, si jugem scabiem." — Lev. xxi. 18.
* St. John Chrysostom admirably develops this comparison between
chaste souls and angels, as may be seen in the breviary, June 21, the 3d
nocturn. — ED.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 245
this evil," says St. Gregory, " he has that is controlled
by the concupiscence of the flesh." :
Even the pagans, as Plutarch writes, required purity
in the priests of their false gods; because they thought
that whatsoever related to the divine honor should be
clean.2 And of the Athenian priests Plato says, that for
the more effectual preservation of chastity they lived
apart from the rest of the people.3 Hence St. Augus
tine exclaims: "O great misery among Christians!
the pagans have become the teachers of the faithful.'"'
Speaking of priests of the true God, Clement of Alex
andria says that they only that lead a life of chastity
are, or should be, called true priests.5 " Let the priest
be humble and pious," said St. Thomas of Villanova;
" if he is not chaste, he is nothing." ' Chastity is neces
sary for all, but principally for priests. " To all," says St.
Augustine, "chastity is most necessary, but especially to
the ministers of the altar." 7 Priests have to treat on the
altar with the immaculate Lamb of God, who is called the
Lily of the valleys? and feeds only among the lilies? Hence
Jesus Christ would have no other mother than a virgin
—no other guardian or precursor than a virgin. And
St. Jerome says that Jesus loved John above the other
" Jugem habet scabiem, cui carnis petulantia dominatur." — Past. p.
i, c. ii.
2 " Diis omnia munda."
3 " Ne contagione aliqua eorum castitas labefactetur."
" O grand is christianorum miseria! ecce pagani doctores fidjlium
facti sunt." — Ad Fr. in er. s. 37.
5 "Soli qui puram agunt vitam, sunt Dei Sacerdotes. "— Strom. 1. 4.
6 Sit humilis Sacerdos, sit devotus; si non est castus, nihil est.'' —
De D. Ang. cone. 3.
" Omnibus castitas pernecessaria est, sed maxime ministris Christi
altaris." — Serm. 291, E. B. app.
8 " Lilium convallium."
9 " Qui pascitur inter lilia." — Cant. ii. 1-16.
246 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
disciples on account of the prerogative of chastity.1
And Jesus intrusted his mother to John on account of
his purity, as he consigns to the priest his Church and
himself. Hence Origen says : "Above all should the
priest who assists at the altar of God be girt about with
chastity."2 And according to St. John Chrysostom, a
priest should have purity which would entitle him to
stand among the angels.3 Should none, then, but vir
gins be promoted to the priesthood ? St. Bernard
answers: "Long continuance in chastity is regarded as
virginity." 4
Hence the holy Church guards nothing with so much
jealousy as the purity of her priests. How many coun
cils and canons enforce it? " Let no one," says Inno
cent III., " be admitted to holy orders unless he be a
virgin, or a man of approved chastity;" 5 and he ordained
that "they who are in holy Orders, if they lead not a
chaste life, are to be excluded from every dignity: ab
omni gradum dignitate? St. Gregory says: " No one
should approach the ministry of the altar unless his
chastity has been proved."7 St. Paul assigns the reason
why the ministers of the altar are obliged to lead a life
of celibacy: He that is without a wife is solicitous for the
things that belong to the Lord, hoiv he may please God; but
1 "Prse caeteris discipulis diligebat Jesus Joannem, propter praero
gativam castitatis."
2 " Ante omnia, Sacerdos, qui divinis assistit altaribus, castitate debet
accingi." — In Lev. horn. 4.
3 " Necesse est Sacerdotem sic esse purum, ut, si in ipsis coelis esset
collocatus, inter ccelestes illas Virtutes medius staret." — DC Saccrd. 1. 3.
4 " Longa castitas pro virginitate reputatur." — De Alodo b. viv. c. 22.
5 " Nemo ad sacrum Ordinem permittatur accedere, nisi aut virgoaut
probatze castitatis exsistat. "
6 " Eos qui in sacris Ordinibus sunt positi. si caste non vixerint, ex-
cludendos ab omni graduum dignitate." — Cap. A multis, de tet. et quol.
Ord.
7 " Nullus debet ad ministerium altaris accedere, nisi cujus castitas
ante susceptum ministerium fuerit approbata." — Epist. \. i, ep. 42.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 247
he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the
world, how he may please his wife.1 He who is free from
the conjugal bonds belongs entirely to God; for he has
to think of nothing but of pleasing God. But he who
is bound to the married state has to think of his wife,
of his children, and of the world. Thus his heart is
divided, and cannot belong wholly to God. St. Atha-
nasius, then, had reason to call chastity the house of the
Holy Ghost, the life of angels, and the crown of saints.2
And St. Jerome has justly called it the honor of the
Church and the glory of priests.3 Yes: for, as St.
Ignatius, Martyr, says, the priest as the house of God,
the temple of Jesus Christ, and the organ of the Holy
Ghost, by which souls are sanctified, ought to practise
chastity.4
II.
Means of Preserving Chastity.
Great, then, is the excellence of chastity; but terrible
indeed is the war that the flesh wages against men in
order to rob them of that precious virtue. The flesh is
the most powerful weapon that the devil employs in
order to make us his slaves. His strength is in his loins?
Hence but few gain the victory in this warfare. " Among
all combats," says St. Augustine, "the combat for chas
tity is the most violent, because it is a daily combat, and
"Qui sine uxore est, sollicitus est quae Domini sunt, quomodo
placeat Deo; qui autem cum uxore est, sollicitus est quae sunt mundi,
quomodo placeat uxori, et divisus est." — i Cor. vii. 32.
'2 " O pudicitia, domicilium Spiritus Sancti, Angelorum vita, Sanc
torum corona!" — DC Virginit.
3 " Ornamentum Ecclesiae Dei, corona illustrior Sacerdotum."
4"Teipsum castum custodi, ut domum Dei, templum Christi,
organum Spiritus Sancti." — Ep. ad Heron,
5 " Fortitudo ejus in lumbis ejus." — Job, xl. n.
248 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
because victory is very rare." How many miserable
men, exclaims St. Laurence Justinian with tears, after
many years spent in the solitude of a desert, in medita
tions, fasting, and penitential austerities, have, for the
sake of sensual indulgence, left the desert and have lost
chastity and God?2 Priests, then, who are bound to
perpetual chastity, must take great care to preserve it.
You shall never practise chastity, said St. Charles Bor-
romeo to an ecclesiastic, unless you are careful to watch
over yourself with great diligence; for chastity is easily
lost by the negligent.3
This care and attention consist in taking the means
of preserving chastity. These means are, to avoid cer
tain incentives to impurity, and to adopt certain reme
dies against temptations.
i. FLIGHT OF THE OCCASION.
The first means is to avoid the occasions of sins
against purity. "We must," says St. Jerome, " be far
from those whose presence may entice us to evil."' St.
Philip Neri used to say that in this warfare cowards,
that is, they that fly from the occasions, are victorious.
" Concupiscence," says Peter de Blois, "is overcome by
nothing more easily than by flight." 5
The grace of God is a great treasure, but this treasure
we carry in vessels that are frail and easily broken.
We have this treasure in earthen vessels* Man cannot of
1 " Inter omnia certamina, sola duriora sunt praelia castitatis, ubi
quotidiana est pugna, et rara victoria." — Serm. 293, E. B. app.
2 " Quanti, post frequentes orationes, diutissimatn eremi habitationem,
cibi potusque parcitatem, seducti spiritu fornicationis, deserta relin-
quentes, duplici interitu, perierunt ! " — DC spir. an. hit. 1. i.
3 " Minim est quam facile ab iis deperdatur, qui ad ejus conserva-
tionem non invigilant."
4 " Primum hujus vitii remedium est longe fieri ab eis quorum prae-
sentia alliciat ad malum."
5 " Nunquam luxuria facilius vincitur, quam fugiendo." — Serm. 45.
6 " Habemus autem thesaurum istum in vasis fictilibus." — 2 Cor. iv. 7.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 249
himself acquire the virtue of chastity: God alone can
give it. / knew, said Solomon, that I could not otherwise
be continent except God gave it.1 We have not strength to
practise any virtue, but particularly the virtue of chas
tity; for we have by nature a strong propensity to the
opposite vice. The divine aid alone can enable a man
to preserve chastity; but this aid God gives not to those
that voluntarily expose themselves to the occasion of sin,
or remain in it. He that loveth danger shall perish in it?
Hence St. Augustine gives the following advice: " To
repel the attacks of lust, take flight if you wish to obtain
the victory."1 Oh ! how many, said St. Jerome at the
hour of death to his disciples (as we read in the
epistle of Eusebius to Pope Damasus), how many have
been cast into the putrid mire of impurity through a
presumptuous security that they should not fall.4 No
one, then, adds the saint, should consider himself secure
against this vice: though you were a saint, you are
always in danger of failing.0
It is not possible, says the Wise Man, for a man to
walk on red-hot coals and not be burned. Can a man
walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt ^ On this
subject St. John Chrysostom writes: "Are you perhaps
of stone or of iron ? no, you are a man subject to the
common weakness of nature. Do you think that you
will not be burnt if you take fire into your hand ? How
T " Scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens, nisi Deus det.'
— Wisd. viii. 21.
'-' " Qui amat periculum, in illo peribit." — Ecdus. iii. 27.
3 " Contra libidinis impetum, apprehende fugam, si vis obtinere
victoriam." — Serm. 293, E. B. app.
4 " Plurimi sanctissimi ceciderunt hoc vitio propter suam securitatem ;
nullus in hoc confidat."
5 " Si sanctus es, nee tamen securus es." — Ettseb. Ep. ad Dam. de
morte Hier.
6 " Numquid potest homo . . . ambulare super prunas, ut non com-
burantur plantse ejus?" — Prov. vi. 27.
250 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
else could this be? Put a burning light into the hay,
and then say that there will be no blaze ! Like hay is
this nature of ours."1 Hence it is not possible for a
man to expose himself voluntarily to the occasions of
sins against chastity and not fall into a precipice. We
should fly from sin as from the face of a serpent. Flee
from sin as from the face of a serpent? We fly not only
from the bite of a serpent, but also from contact with it
and proximity to it. We must also avoid the company
and conversation of persons who may be to us an occa
sion of yielding to any sin against purity. St. Ambrose
remarks that the chaste Joseph would not stop to hear
the first words of Putiphar's wife, but instantly fled
away, considering that there was great danger in wait
ing to listen to her.3 But some one may say: I know
my duty; but let him attend to the words of St. Francis
of Assisi: " I know what I ought to do, but I know not
what I would do were I to remain in the occasion of
sin."
I. Let us examine the principal occasions that the
priest should carefully avoid in order to preserve chas
tity. It is necessary, above all things, to abstain from
looking at dangerous objects. Death is come up through
our windows? says the Prophet Jeremias'. Through the
windows: that is, through the eyes, as St. Jerome, St.
Gregory, and others say in their comments on this
passage. For as to defend a fortification it is not
enough to lock the gates if the enemy be allowed to
enter by the windows; so to preserve chastity all other
1 " Num tu saxeus es, num ferreus ? Homo es, communi naturae
imbecillitati obnoxius; ignem capis, nee ureris? Lucernam in feno
pone, ac turn aude negare quod fenum uratur. Quod fenum est, hoc
natura nostra est." — In Ps. 50, horn. i.
a "Quasi a facie colubri, fuge peccata." — Ecdus. xxi. 2.
3 " Ne ipsa quidem verba diu passus est; contagium enim judicavit,
si diutius moraretur." — De S. fos. c. 5.
4 " Ascendit mors per fenestras." — Jer. ix. 21.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 251
means shall be unprofitable unless we carefully watch
over the eyes. Tertullian1 relates that a certain pagan
philosopher plucked out his eyes in order to preserve
chastity. This is not lawful for us. But if we wish to
avoid sins against purity we must abstain from looking
at women, and still more from looking at them a second
time. To look at dangerous objects, says St. Francis
de Sales, is not so hurtful to us as to repeat the look.
And St. John Chrysostom adds, that it is necessary to
turn away the eyes not only from women whose dress
or manner is immodest, but even from those whose de
meanor is full of modesty.2 Hence holy Job made a
compact with his eyes not to look at any woman, even
at a chaste virgin; because he knew from looks evil
thoughts arise: / made a covenant with my eyes that I
would not so much as think upon a virgin? Ecclesiasticus
advises us to imitate the example of Job. Gaze not upon
a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumbling-block to thee? St.
Augustine says: From looks spring evil thoughts; the
thoughts produce a certain carnal delectation, though
indeliberate. To this indeliberate delectation succeeds
the consent of the will;5 and, behold, the soul is lost.
Cardinal Hugo remarks that the Apostle commanded
women to keep their heads veiled in the church because
of the angels? that is, because of priests, lest looking at
their faces they should be tempted to lust.7 Even while
1 Apolog. c. 46.
"Animus feritur et commovetur, non impudicae tantum intuitu, sed
etiam pudicae." — De Sacerd. 1. 6.
3 " Pepigi foedus cum oculis meis, ut ne cogitarem quidem de vir-
gine." — Job, xxxi. i.
" Virginem ne conspicias, ne forte scandalizeris in decore illius." —
Ecclus. ix. 5.
"Visum sequitur cogitatio, cogitationem delectatio, delectationem
consensus."
6 " Propter Angelos."
1 " ' Propter Angelos,' id est, Sacerdotes, ne, in ejus faciem inspici-
entes, moverentur ad libidinem." — In i Cor. xi. 10.
252 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
he lived in a cave at Bethlehem, in constant prayer and
penitential austerities, St. Jerome was tormented by the
remembrance of the ladies whom he had long before
seen in Rome. Hence he cautioned his friend Nepo-
tianus to abstain not only from looking at women, but
from even speaking of their figure.1 By a single look of
curiosity at Bethsebee, David miserably fell into the
sins of adultery, homicide, and scandal. " The devil
only wishes us to begin,"2 says the same St. Jerome.
The devil only requires that we begin to open the door;
he wrill afterwards open it entirely. A deliberate, fixed
look at the countenance of a young woman may be an
infernal spark that will cause the ruin of the soul.
Speaking of priests, St. Jerome says that they ought to
avoid not only every unchaste act, but every glance of
the eye.3
II. If to preserve chastity we must abstain from look
ing at women, it is far more necessary to avoid conver
sation with them. Tarry not among women* says the
Holy Ghost. The inspired writer subjoins the reason,
saying, that as the moth comes from clothes, so the
wickedness of men has its origin in conversation with
women. For from garments cometh a moth, and from a
woman the iniquity of a man? And, says Cornelius a
Lapide, as the moth comes from a garment in spite of
the owner, so from intercourse writh women evil desires
spring up, even when we will them not.6 He adds that
1 " Officii tui est, non solum oculos castos custodire, sed et linguam;
numquam de formis mulierum disputes." — Ep. ad Nepot.
2 " Nostris tantum initiis (diabolus) opus habet."
3 " Pudicitia sacerdotalis non solum ab opere se immundo abstineat,
sed etiam a jactu oculi sit libera." — In Tit. i.
4 " In medio mulierum noli commorari." — Ecclus. xlii. 12.
5 " De vestimentis enim procedit timea, et a muliere iniquitas viri."
—Ibid.
6 " Sicut tibi nihil tale volenti nascitur in veste et e veste tinea, ita
nihil tale volenti nascitur ex femina desiderium."
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 253
as the moth is insensibly generated in and corrodes the
garment, so by conversation with women concupiscence
is imperceptibly excited, even in men who are spiritual.1
St. Augustine regards as certain the sudden fall of the
man who will not avoid familiarity with dangerous
objects.2 St. Gregory relates3 of Orsinus, who had sep
arated from his wife, and become a priest with her con
sent, that forty years after their separation, when he
was dying, she put her ear to his mouth to ascertain
whether he was still alive; but Orsinus exclaimed:
"Withdraw, O woman," said he; " take away the straw;
for I have still a small portion of the fire of life which
may consume us both."^
Every one should be filled with terror by the unhappy
example of Solomon, who after being so dear to God,
and so familiar with him, after being made, as it were,
the pen of the Holy Ghost, was in his old age, by con
versation with pagan women, induced to worship idols.
And when he was now old, his heart was turned away by
women to follow strange gods? No wonder; for, as St.
Cyprian says, it is impossible to stand in the midst of
flames without being burned.6 And St. Bernard has
written, that to be familiar with a woman and to pre
serve chastity require greater virtue than to raise a
dead man to life.7 If, then, says the Holy Ghost, you
1 "Tinea insensibiliter in veste nascitur, et earn erodit; sic insensi-
biliter ex conversatione cum muliere oritur libido, etiam inter religi-
osos."
2 ' ' Sine ulla dubitatione, qui familiaritatem non vult vitare suspectam,
cito labitur in ruinara." — Serm. 293, E. B. app.
3 Dial. 1. 4, c. ii.
4 " Recede mulier, adhuc igniculus vivit, paleam tolle."
•r> " Cumque jam esset senex, depravatum est cor ejus per mulieres,
ut sequeretur deos alienos." — 3 Kings, xi. 4.
6 " Impossibile est flammis circumdari, et non ardere." — De Singular,
cler.
7 " Cum femina semper esse, et non cognoscere feminam, nonne plus
est quam mortuum suscitare ?" — In Cant. s. 65.
254 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
wish to be secure, Remove thy way far from her.1 Do not
even pass near the door of her whom the devil makes an
occasion of temptation to you: pass at a distance from
it; and should it be really necessary for you to speak to
a woman, your words, says St. Augustine, should be few
and reserved.2 St. Cyprian gives the same advice. He
says that our intercourse with women should be passing,
and as if we were in flight. 3
But some one may say, The woman with whom I am
familiar is a person of deformed figure; God forbid she
should be an occasion of sin to me. But St. Cyprian
answers that the devil is a painter who, when concupis
cence is excited, makes a deformed countenance appear
beautiful.4
But she is a relative. St. Jerome answers: "Allow
not to stay with you even the person that is your rela
tive." '' Relationship sometimes serves to take away re
straint and to multiply sins by adding the guilt of incest
to impurity and sacrilege. "The sin will be only the
more criminal," says St. Cyprian, " the more easily one
can remove the suspicion of misconduct.'" St. Charles
Borromeo7 passed a decree that his priests should not
without his permission dwell in the same house with
women, even with near relatives.
But she is a spiritual soul and a saint: there is no
danger. Is there no danger? Yes, says St. Augustine.
1 " Longe fac ab ea viam tuam, et ne appropinques foribus domus
ejus." — Prov. v. 8.
2 " Cum feminis, sermo brevis et rigidus."
:i " Transeunter feminis exhibenda est accessio, quodammodo fugi-
tiva." — De Singular, clcr.
4 " Diabolus, pingens, speciosus efficit quidquid horridum fuerit."
5 " Prohibe tecum morari, etiam quae de genere tuo sunt." — Ep. ad
Ocean.
6 " Magis illicito delinquitur ubi sine suspicione securum potest esse
delictum."
1 A eta Mcdiol. p. 2, syn. 4, Monit.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 255
there is danger; and because she is spiritual and a saint
you ought the more to fear and fly familiarity with her;
for the more spiritual and holy a woman is, the more
easily she gains the affections of men.1 The Venerable
Father Sertorius Caputo used to say, as we read in his
life, that the devil endeavors first to infuse a love for the
virtue of the individual, and thus inspire a security that
there is no danger; he then excites sentiments of affec
tion for the person, and afterwards tempts to sin; and
thus he causes great havoc. Before him St. Thomas
said the same: "Although carnal affection is dangerous
to all, it is yet more so for those that associate with
persons that seem to be spiritual; for, even though the
beginning seems pure, yet frequent familiarity is very
dangerous; and the more the familiarity increases, the
more the first motive is weakened, and thus purity is
defiled."2 He adds, that the devil knows well how to
conceal the danger. In the beginning he sends, not
poisoned darts, but only those that inflict slight wounds,
and kindle an affection; but in a short time the persons
begin to act towards each other not like angels, as in
the beginning, but like beings clothed with flesh. The
looks are not immodest, but they are frequent and re
ciprocal; their words appear to be spiritual, but are too
affectionate. Each begins frequently to desire the com
pany of the other. "And thus," concludes the saint,
"a spiritual devotion is converted into a carnal one."
" Sermo brevis et rigidus cum mulieribus est habendus; nee tamen,
quia sanctiores fuerint, ideo minus cavendse; quo enim sanctiores
fuerint, eo magis alliciunt." — De Modo confit.
2 "Licet carnalis affectio sit omnibus periculosa, etiam tamen per-
niciosa est magis, quando conversantur cum persona qua spiritualis
videtur; nam, quamvis eorum principium videatur esse purum, fre-
quens tamen familiaritas domesticum est periculum; quae quidem
familiaritas quanto plus crescit, tanto plus infirmatur principale moti-
vum, et puritas maculatur."
"Sicque spiritualis devotio convertitur in carnalem." — De Pro-
fectzt Rel. 1. 2, c. 27.
256 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
St. Bonaventure gives five marks by which we may
know when a spiritual affection has become carnal.
i. When there are long and useless conversations (and
when they are long they are always useless); 2. When
there are mutual looks and mutual praise; 3. When one
excuses the faults of the other; 4. When they exhibit
certain little jealousies; 5. When the absence of one
causes a certain inquietude in the other.
Let us tremble: we are flesh. Blessed Jordan severely
reproved one of his religious for having, without any
bad motive, once taken a woman by the hand. The re
ligious said in answer that she was a saint. But, re
plied the holy man: "The rain is good, and the earth
also, but mix them together and they become mire."
Such a man is a saint, and such a woman, too, is a
saint; but because they expose themselves to the occa
sion of sin, both are lost. The strong hath stumbled against
the strong, and both arc fallen together.1 Listen to the
melancholy fall of a holy woman who, as we read in
ecclesiastical history, was accustomed through charity
to bury the bodies of the holy martyrs. She found one
of them whom she believed to be dead; but finding he
was still alive, she brought him to her house and took
care of him. He recovered; but what happened ? These
two saints, by conversing together, lost their chastity
and the grace of God.
This has happened, not once, nor a few times: how
many Christians, who were saints before, have, by simi
lar attachments, which were at first spiritual, in the end
lost their soul and God ? St. Augustine attests that he
knew some great prelates of the Church of whom he
had as high an opinion as of St. Jerome and St. Ambrose,
and who, by exposing themselves to such occasions, fell
" Fortis impegit in fortem, et ambo pariter conciderunt." — fer.
xlvi. 12.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 257
away from sanctity into sin.1 St. Jerome wrote to Ne-
potianus: " Do not confide too much in your past chas
tity; be careful not to sit alone with a woman without
a witness,"2 that is, do not remain with her. St. Isidore
of Pelusium says: " If necessity obliges you to converse
with women, keep your eyes cast on the ground; and
after you have spoken a few words, go away imme
diately."1 Father Peter Consolini of the Oratory used
to say, that we should practise charity towards women
who are even saints as towards the souls in purgatory,
that is, from a distance, and without looking at them.
This good Father would say, that in temptations against
chastity priests would do well to reflect on their dig
nity; and would add that a certain Cardinal, when
molested by thoughts, began to look at his cap, and to
think of his cardinalitial dignity, saying: " My cap, I
recommend myself to you." Thus he resisted the temp
tation.
III. It is also necessary to fly from bad company. St.
Jerome says that a man becomes like the companions
with whom he converses.4 We walk in a dark and slip
pery way; 5 such is the present life ; Lubricum in tenebris :
if a wicked companion impels us to the precipice, we
are lost. St. Bernardine of Sienna relates6 that he knew
a person who had preserved her virginity for thirty-
"Magnos praelatos Ecclesiae sub hac specie coruisse reperi, de
quorum casu non magis prsesumebam, quam Hieronymi et Ambrosii."
— S. Thomas, De modo con fit.
8 "Ne in praeterita castitate confidas; solus cum sola, absque teste,
non sedeas."
"Si cum ipsis conversari necessitas te obstringat, oculos humi
dejectos habe; cumque pauca locutus fueris, statim avola."— Lib. 2,
ep. 284.
"Talis efficitur homo, qualium societate fruitur."— Eusebius, De
Morte Hiet.
5 l< Lubricum in tenebris."
6 T. III. Serin, extr. s. 13, n. 6..
17
258 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
eight years, and afterwards, in consequence of having
heard an immodest word, fell into such habits of impur
ity, that, says the saint, the devil himself, if clothed
with flesh, could not have been guilty of such filthy
abominations.
IV. To preserve chastity, it is also necessary to avoid
idleness. Idleness, says the Holy Ghost, hath taught
much evil.' Ezechiel says that it was the cause of all
the wickedness of the inhabitants of Sodom, and of
their total destruction. Behold ! this was the iniquity of
Sodom . . . the idleness of her and of her daughters? This
was, as St. Bernard remarks, the cause of the fall of
Solomon. The concupiscence of the flesh is repressed
by labor, says St. Isidore.3 Hence St. Jerome exhorted
Rusticus to be always occupied, so that the devil, when
ever he came to tempt him, should find him employed.4
According to St. Bonaventure, the man who is employed
shall be tempted by a single devil, but the idle shall be
frequently assailed by many devils.6
2. MORTIFICATION.
We have seen, then, that for the preservation of chas
tity it is necessary to avoid idleness and the occasions
of impurity. Let us now examine what we must do in
order to preserve this great virtue.
First, it is necessary to practise the mortification of
the senses. If, says St. Jerome, any one wishes to live
in the midst of earthly delights, and expects at the same
time to be free from the vices that accompany pleasures,
1 " Mul tarn enim maiitiam docuit otiositas." — Ecclus. xxxiii. 29.
9 " Haec fuit iniquitas Sodomae . . otium ipsius." — Ezeck.xvi 49.
3 " Cedet libido laboribus, cedet operi." — De Cent, in, de Lab,
4 " Facito aliquidoperis, ut te semper diabolus inveniat occupatum."
— Ep, ad Rustic.
6 "Occupatus ab uno daemone impugnatur; otiosus ab innumeris
vasiauir. — De Prof. rel. 1. i, c. 39.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 259
he deceives himself.1 When the Apostle was molested
with the stings of the flesh he had recourse to bodily
mortifications. /, said he, chastise my body and bring it
into subjection? Unless the flesh be mortified, it will
submit to the spirit only with difficulty. As the lily
among the thorns -, so is My love among the daughters? As
the lily is preserved among thorns, so chastity is
guarded by mortifications.
But for him who wishes to practise this sublime vir
tue, it is, above all, necessary to avoid intemperance as
well in drinking as in eating.
Give not, says the wise man, wine to kings? He who
takes more wine than is necessary, shall certainly be
molested with many carnal motions, and shall scarcely
be able to rule the flesh and make it obedient to the law
of chastity. " The body that is inflamed with wine will
overflow with lust," says St. Jerome.5 For as the prophet
Osee has said, wine deprives man of reason, and reduces
him to the level of a brute. Wine and drunkenness take
away the understanding? Of the Baptist it was foretold.
He shall drink no wine and strong drink, and he shall be
filed with the Holy Ghost? Some will argue in favor of
the necessity of wine, because it is a remedy for the
weakness of the stomach. But, according to the words
of St. Paul to Timothy, a small quantity of wine is suffi-
" Si quis existimat posse versari in deliciis, et deliciarum vitiis
non teneri, seipsum decipit." — Adv. Jovin, 1. 2.
"Castigo corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo." — i Cor. ix. 27.
" Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic arnica mea inter filias." — Cant. ii. 2.
"Noli regibus dare vinum." — Prov. xxxi. 4.
"Venter enim mero sestuans despumat in libidinem." — Keg.
Monach. de Abst.
6 "Vinum et ebrietas auferunt cor." — Os. iv. n.
7 "Vinum et siceram non bibet, et Spiritu Saricto replebitur." —
Luke, i. 15.
260 Material for Instructions. IPART n.
cient for that malady. Use a little wine for thy stomach's
sake, and thy frequent infirmities?
It is also necessary to abstain from superfluity of
food. St. Jerome asserts2 that satiety of the stomach
provokes incontinence. And St. Bonaventure says:
"Impurity is nourished by eating to excess."1 But^ on
the other hand, fasting, as the holy Church teaches,
represses vice and produces virtue: "O God, who by
corporal fasting dost suppress vice, dost elevate the
mind, and dost confer virtues and rewards."' St.
Thomas has written that when the devil is conquered
by those whom he tempts to gluttony, he ceases to
tempt them to impurity.5
3. HUMILITY.
It is necessary to practise humility. Cassian says
that he who is not humble cannot be chaste.6 It hap
pens, not unfrequently, that God chastises the proud
by permitting them to fall into some sin against purity.
This, as David himself confessed, was the cause of his
fall. Before I was humbled I offended} It is by humility
that we obtain chastity, says St. Bernard.8 And St
Augustine writes: "Charity is the guardian of virginity,
humility is the place of the guardian."' Divine love is
the guardian of purity, but humility is the house in
1 " Modico vino utere, propter stomachum tuum et frequentes tuas
infirmitates." — I Tim. v. 23.
2 Adv. Jovin. 1. 2.
3 "Luxuria nutritur a ventris ingluvie." — De Prof. rel. 1. 2, c. 52.
4 " Deus qui, corporal! jejunio, vitia comprimis, mentem elevas,
virtutem largiris et pnemia."
5 " Diabolus, victus de gula, non tentat de libidine."
6 " Castitatem apprehendi non posse, nisi prim; humilitatis in corde
'fundamenta fuerint collocata." — De Coenob. inst. 1. 6, c. 18.
7 " Priusquam humiliarer, ego deliqui." — Ps. cxviii. 67.
8 " Ut castitas detur, humilitas meretur." — De Mor. et Off. Ep. c. 5.
9 "Gustos virginitatis, charitas; locus hujus custodis, humilitas." —
De S. Virginit. c. 51.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 261
which this guardian dwells. St. John Climacus used to
say, that he who expects to conquer the flesh by conti
nence alone is like a man in the midst of the ocean
who wishes to save his life by swimming with a single
hand. Therefore it is necessary to unite humility to
continence.1
4. PRAYER.
But above all, to acquire the virtue of chastity prayer
is necessary: it is necessary to pray, and to pray con
tinually. It has been already said that chastity can
neither be acquired nor preserved unless God grant his
aid to preserve it; but this aid he gives only to those
who ask.it. Hence the holy Fathers teach that, accord
ing to the words of Scripture: We ought always to pray,
and not to faint?' Ask, and it shall be given you? The
prayer of petition is necessary for adults, — necessitate medii,
—that is, as a means without which salvation is impos
sible. Hence the angelic Doctor has said: "After bap
tism, continual prayer is necessary to man."4 And if to
practise any virtue Christians require the divine assist
ance, they stand in need of still greater help in order to
preserve chastity, because they have a strong tendency
to the opposite vice. It is impossible, says Cassian, for
man, by his own strength, without aid from God, to
keep himself chaste; and therefore, in our struggle with
the flesh, we must ask the Lord, with all the affection
of our soul, for the gift of chastity.5 " According to the
" Qui sola continentia bellum hoc superare nititur, similis est ei
qui, una manu natans, pelago liberari contendit; sit ergo humilitas
continentiae conjuncta." — Scala spir. gr. 15.
" Oportet semper orare, et non deficere." — -Luke, xviii. i.
3 " Petite, et dabitur vobis." — Matt. vii. 7.
" Post baptismum, necessaria est homini jugis oratio." — P. 3, q.
39. a- 5-
" Impossibile est hominem suis pennis ad tam praecelsum coelestem
praemium subvolare, nisi eum gratia Domini de terrae coena evexerit."
— De Ccenob. inst. \. 6, c. 6.
262 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
advice of the Wise Man," says Abelly, " we should pray
to God with our whole heart." Hence St. Cyprian
teaches that the first means of obtaining chastity is to
ask it of God.2 And before him Solomon said: And as
I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, except God gave
ity and this also was a point of wisdom, to know whose gift it
was : I went to the Lord, and besought Him, and said with m\>
whole heart?
We should then, says St. Cyprian, instantly resist the
first carnal solicitations with which the devil assails us,
and not permit the serpent, that is, the temptation, to
grow strong.4 St. Jerome gives this same advice: " You
must not permit bad thoughts to grow in your mind;
no, kill the enemy when he is small." '' It is easy to kill
a lion when he is small, but not when he has grown to
his full size.
Let us guard against reasoning with temptations con
trary to chastity: let us endeavor instantly to banish
them. And, as the spiritual masters teach, the best
means of banishing such temptations is not to combat
them directly face to face, by making contrary acts of
the will, but to get rid of them indirectly by acts of the
love of God, or of contrition, or at least by turning the
mind to other things.
1 " Idcirco, juxta Sapientis monitum (Wisd. viii 21) adeundus est
Dominus, et ex totis praecordiis deprecandus." — Saceni. Chr. p. 5,
c. 14.
2 " Inter haec, imo et ante haec omnia, de divinus castris auxilium
petendum est." — De Disc, et Bono pudic.
3 " Et ut scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens, nisi Deus
det, et hoc ipsum erat sapientiae, scire cujus esset hoc donum, adii
Dominum, et deprecatus sum ilium, et dixi ex totis praecordiis meis."
— Wisd. viii. 21.
4 " Primis diaboli titillationibus obviandum est, nee foveri debet
coluber donee in draconem formetur." — De Jej. et Tent. Chr.
5 " Nolo sinas cogitationem crescere; dum parvus est hostis, inter-
fice." — Ep. ad Etistocli.
INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 263
But the means in which we should place the greatest
confidence is prayer, and recommending ourselves to
God. It is useful, as soon as we perceive the first
motion of impurity, to renew our purpose to suffer
death rather than consent to sin, and immediately after
to have recourse to the wounds of Jesus Christ for aid.
Thus the saints, who were flesh, and subject to tempta
tions, have acted, and thus they have conquered. " If I
am tormented," says St. Augustine, " by any bad thought,
I have recourse to the wounds of Jesus; for I find rest
in the wounds of our Saviour." ' Thus, also, St. Thomas
of Aquinas repelled the attacks of the woman by whom
his chastity was assailed: "Do not permit, O Lord
Jesus and O most holy Virgin Mary, that I should offend
God !" exclaimed the saint.2
It is also very useful to make the sign of the cross
on the breast, and to have recourse to our angel
guardian and our holy patron. But above all, it is
useful to have recourse to Jesus Christ and the divine
Mother by instantly invoking their most holy names,
and by continuing to invoke them until the temptation
is beaten down. Oh ! how powerful are the most holy
names of Jesus and Mary against the attacks of impurity !
Devotion to the holy Virgin, who is called " the Mother
of fair love, and the guardian of virginity," 3 is a most
useful devotion for the preservation of chastity. And
to recite, at rising in the morning and going to bed at
night, three "Hail Marys," in honor of the purity of
Mary, is a devotion that has singular efficacy in obtain
ing the gift of continence.
Father Segneri 4 relates that a sinner addicted to the
"Cum me pulsat aliqua turpis cogitatio, recurro ad vulnera
Christi. Tula requies in vulneribus Salvatoris." — Manual, c. 22, 21.
2 " Ne sinas, Domine Jesu, et Sanctissima Virgo Maria !" — Surius,
7 Mart.
3 " Mater pulchrae dilectionis et Gustos virginitatis."
4 Crist, istr. p. 3, r. 34, § 2.
264 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
grossest impurities went one day to confession to Father
Nicholas Zucchi, of the Society of Jesus. The Father
prescribed as a remedy for his wicked habits that he
should recommend himself, morning and evening, to the
purity of Mary, by saying three " Hail Marys." After
the lapse of several years the sinner returned to Father
Zucchi, and by his confession showed that all his
vices were perfectly corrected. The Father asked him
how such a change had been wrought. He answered
that through the little devotion of saying the three
" Hail Marys" he had obtained the grace to change his
life.
Father Zucchi, with the permission of the penitent,
mentioned the fact from the pulpit. There was a soldier
present who was actually in the habit of sins of impurity;
he began to say every day the three " Hail Marys," and
in a short time, with the aid that the divine Mother
obtained for him, he soon renounced the evil habit.
Through a false zeal, he went one day to the accomplice
of his sins in order to convert her; but when he was on
the point of entering her house he was suddenly driven
back, and found himself transported to a considerable
distance. He then understood that he had been pre
vented from speaking to the woman by a special grace
obtained for him by Mary, for which he thanked her.
Had he been placed again in the occasion of sin he
would probably have relapsed.*
* This double example is related with some other details in the
Glories of Mary, p. 2, Disc. 4 (Vol. VII. page 379).
INSTR. iv.] Preaching. 265
INSTRUCTION IV.
PREACHING, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRA
MENT OF PENANCE.
IF all preachers and confessors fulfilled the obligations
of their office the whole world would be sanctified. Bad
preachers and bad confessors are the ruin of the world.
By bad preachers and confessors I mean those that do
not fulfil their duty as they ought.
We shall treat, first, of the preaching of the divine
word, and afterwards of the administration of the sac
rament of penance.
I.
Preaching.
By preaching, the faith has been propagated, and by
the same means God wishes it to be preserved: Faith
cometh by hearing: and hearing by the word of Christ? But
for a Christian, it is not enough to know what he is
obliged to do; it is, moreover, necessary for him, by
hearing the divine word from time to time, to be re
minded of the importance of eternal salvation, and of
the means which he ought to adopt in order to secure it.
Hence the following command of St. Paul to Timothy:
Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.'1 And the same
command God had long before given to the Prophets
Isaias and Jeremias. To the former he said: Cry, cease
1 " Fides exauditu; auditus autem perverbum Christi." — Rom. x. 17
2 " Praedica verbum: insta opportune, importune; argue, obsecra,
increpa, in omni patientia et doctrina." — 2 Tim. iv. 2.
266 Material for Instructions. [PART IT.
not to lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people
their wicked doings? To the latter: Behold, I have given
My words in thy mouth: lo, I have set thee this day over the
nations, and over kingdoms, to root up and to pull down, . . .
to build and to plant? The same command he has also
imposed on his priests; for preaching is one of their
principal duties. Going, therefore, teach ye all nations,
. . . to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you?
And should a sinner be damned through the fault of him
who preaches the divine word, God will demand an ac
count of the priest who could have announced the truths
of salvation to that lost soul. If, when I say to the wicked
thou shalt surely die, thou declare it not to him; . . . the same
wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his
blood at thy hand?
But, to save souls, it is not enough to preach: it is, as
I have already said, necessary to preach in a proper
manner. In the first place, in order to preach well
learning and study are necessary. He who preaches at
random will do more injury than service to religion. In
the second place, an exemplary life is necessary. The
sermons of the man whose conduct excites contempt
shall be despised, says St. Gregory.5 And St. John
Chrysostom writes: "How is it possible fora priest to
persuade by his words, when his acts are in opposition
1 " Clama, ne cesses: quasi tuba, exalta vocem tuam, et annuntia
populo meo scelera eorum." — Is. Iviii. i.
a " Ecce dedi verba mea in ore tuo; ecce constitui te hodie super
gentes et super regna, ut evellas, et destinas, . . . et redifices, et
plantes." — Jer. i. 9.
3 " Euntes ergo, docete omnes gentes . . . servare omnia qurecum
que mandavi vobis." — Matt, xxviii. 19.
4 " Si, dicente me ad impium: Morte morieris; non annuntiaveris ei,
. . . ipse impius in iniquitate sua morietur, sanguinem autem ejus de
manu tua requiram." — Ezech. iii. 18.
5 " Cujus vita despicitur, restat ut ejus prsedicatio contemnatur." — In
Evang. horn. 12.
INSTR. iv.] Preaching. 267
to his doctrine." ' The preaching of such a man shall
serve only for his condemnation; for according to St.
Paul, he who reproves in others what he does himself,
condemns himself: Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever
thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself? Justly, then, did Father John
d'Avila say to a person who asked what rule he should
follow in order to preach well, that the best means of
preaching well was to love Jesus Christ ardently. '* He,"
says St. Gregory, " who is not on fire does not inflame." J
The divine love must first burn in the preacher, that he
may afterwards kindle it in others. St. Francis de Sales
used to say that the heart speaks to the heart.4 He
meant, that words alone speak to the ears, but do not
enter the soul. He only who speaks from the heart,
that is, he who feels and practises what he preaches,
shall speak to the heart of others, and shall move them
to the love of God. Hence, according to the words of
the Redeemer, that which ye hear in the ear, preach yc on
the housetop? The preacher must have an affection for
mental prayer, in which he may excite the sentiments
that he will afterwards communicate to others. Mental
prayer is the blessed furnace in which sacred orators are
inflamed with divine love. /;/ my meditation, says David,
a fire shall flame out? Here they form the fiery darts
that afterwards wound the hearts of their hearers.
It is necessary to preach with a good intention, that
is, not for temporal interest, but for the glory of God^
not to attract empty praises, but to procure the salva-
1 " Denegatis in opere, quod videmini profited in verbo." — Horn. 40.
2 " Inexcusabilis es, o homo omnis qui judicas ! in quo enim judicas
alterum, teipsum condemnas." — Rom. ii. i.
3 " Lucerna quse non ardet, non accendit." — In Ezech. horn. n.
4 De la Pred. ch. 5, a. I.
6 " Quod in aure auditis, praedicate super tecta." — Matt. x. 27.
6 " In meditatione mea exardescet ignis." — Ps. xxxviii. 4.
268 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
tion of souls. Hence, as the Council of Trent ordains,
it is the duty of preachers to preach in a manner accom
modated to the capacity of their hearers: " Archpriests
shall, either personally or by others who are competent,
feed the people committed to them." ] Empty words
and sounding periods are, says St. Francis de Sales
the pest of sermons. a First, because God does not co
operate with vain preaching. Secondly, because the
persons who are present at sermons are generally rude
and illiterate, and incapable of understanding flowery
discourses. What a pity, sometimes, to see so many of
the poor going to the sermon, and afterwards leaving
the church afflicted and wearied, without having under
stood almost any part of the discourse. Justly has
Father John d'Avila said, that they who preach in a
lofty style, not intelligible to the audience, are traitors
to Jesus Christ; and that, though sent by him to procure
his glory, they seek only their own exaltation. Justly,
too, has Father Caspar Sanzio said, that such preachers
are at the present day the greatest persecutors of the
Church, because by their sermons they are the cause of
the perdition of many souls that would be saved by
exhortations composed in a simple and apostolic style.
My preaching, says the Apostle, was not in the persuasive
words of human wisdom, but in showing of the spirit and
power.3 In the lives of the saints who were employed in
saving souls I find many praised for preaching in simple
and popular language, but I have not found one eulogized
for having preached in a labored and flowery style.
It will be useful to abridge, in this place, what the
1 " Archipresbyteri, per se vel per alios idoneos, plebes sibi commis-
sas, pro earum capacitate, pascent Salutaribus verbis." — Sess. 5, de
Ref. c. 2.
• De la Predic. ch. 5, a. I.
3 ' ' Praedicatio mea non in persuasibilibus humanae sapientiae verbis,
sed in ostensione spiritus et virtutis." — i Cor. ii. 4.
INSTR. iv.] Preaching. 269
learned and celebrated Muratori has written in his
golden little treatise entitled Popular Eloquence.
There are, he says, two sorts of eloquence: the sublime,
and the popular. The sublime eloquence directs us in
the composition of discourses which treat of lofty
subjects, contain ingenious reflections, select language,
and turned periods. With the aid of the popular elo
quence the eternal truths are expounded nakedly, sub
jects easily understood are explained in a simple and
familiar style, so that each person present may under
stand the entire instruction. In sermons, we address
not only the learned, but also the uninstructed, and
these ordinarily form the greater part of the audience.
Hence it is always expedient to preach in a simple,
popular style, not only in the missions and spiritual ex
ercises, but also in all sermons addressed to the people.
In the sight of God, the souls of the learned and un
learned are equally precious; and, according to the
words of the Apostle: To the wise and to the unwise I am
a debtor? The preacher is obliged to seek the sanctifi-
cation of the latter as well as of the former. Besides,
even to the learned, sermons composed in a simple and
familiar style are more profitable than discourses written
in lofty and florid language. For in sublime discourses
the mind stops to admire and criticise (and this frequent
ly happens); but the will is left without food, and de
rives no profit from the sermon. Father Paul Segneri,
Junior, by preaching in a popular manner ravished
(these are the words of Muratori) the hearts even of
the learned. The same was the result of the sermons of
St. John Francis Regis.
He who wishes to preach, not for the purpose of ac
quiring praise, but of gaining souls to God, should not
seek to hear others say: Oh, what beautiful thoughts!
What a splendid speaker! What a great man ! But he
1 " Sapientibus et insipientibus debitor sum." — Rom* i. 14.
2 70 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
should desire to see all going away with their heads
bowed down, weeping over their sins, resolved to change
their lives, and to give themselves to God. The end of
true rhetoric is to persuade and move the audience to
practise what is inculcated in the discourse. Even in
popular eloquence, preachers avail themselves of the art
of rhetoric, of figures, of the arrangement of the argu
ments, of the language, of the peroration. But all must
be done simply and without show of art, in order to
reap not applause, but fruit. If in such sermons the
audience are not delighted by elegant language and in
genious reflections, they shall certainly be pleased to
find themselves enlightened and moved to attend to
what alone is important — their eternal salvation.
And what has been said is, according to Muratori,
applicable to sermons preached in cities, where the
audience consists of the ignorant and the learned; but
he adds, that in addressing the common people or the
inhabitants of the villages the preacher must adopt the
most popular and lowest kind of eloquence, in order to
accommodate his instruction to their weak understand
ing. He must imagine himself to be one of them, and
that another is anxious to instruct him in some duty
and to persuade him to fulfil it. Hence his language
ought to be popular and common, the periods short and
unconnected, imitating the very mode of reasoning that
such persons usually adopt among themselves. In a
word, the whole study of the preacher should be to
make the audience understand ali he says, and to move
his hearers most effectually to do what he exhorts them
to practise. And as the preacher should adopt a familiar
style, so he should also select subjects easily understood;
omitting scholastic points and ingenious interpretations
of Scripture, which though intelligible will be unprofit
able to the poor and illiterate. The great object should
be to explain nakedly and simply the eternal truths,
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 271
the importance of salvation, and to lay before the people
the illusions of the devil, the dangers of perdition, and
the means to be adopted in some particular cases that
may occur. In this consists the breaking of bread to
the little ones, which the Lord demands of preachers,
and of the general neglect of which he complains: The
little ones have asked for bread, and there was none to break it
unto them.1 In speaking to the uninstructed, it is also
very useful to ask questions from time to time, and to
reply to them. It is useful to bring forward examples
of the saints, or examples of punishments inflicted on
sinners. But above all, it is useful to inculcate things
which are practical, and to repeat them several times,
that they may remain impressed on the weak under
standing of the poor.
Such the doctrine of Muratori, which I have here
abridged in order to show that the sacred orators who
preach in a high and florid style to the poor, who gen
erally compose the audiences in our churches, receive
even from the learned censure rather than praise.
This is enough on preaching the divine word. I hope
hereafter, in treating of the exercises of the mission, to
subjoin other reflections on the manner of preaching to
be adopted in the missions, and on the method of
arranging the sermons. Let us now pass to the admin
istration of the sacrament of penance.
II.
The Administration of the Sacrament of Penance.
i. GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONFESSORS.
The great Pontiff, St. Pius V., said: " Give us fit con
fessors, and surely the whole of Christianity will be re
formed." 2 He who wishes to be a good confessor must,
1 "Parvuli petierunt panem, et non erat qui frangeret eis." — Lam.
iv. 4.
2 " Dentur idonei confessarii; ecce omnium Christianorum plena re-
lormatio."
272 Material for Instructions. IPART n.
in the first place, consider that the office of a confessor
is very difficult and dangerous, and that on account of
its difficulty and danger the Council of Trent has called
it an office to be dreaded even by angels.1 And what,
says St. Laurence Justinian, can be more perilous than
to assume the responsibility of rendering to God an
account of the life of others?2 St. Gregory says that
no error is more dangerous than that which is com
mitted in the direction of souls.3 It is certain that if
a soul be lost through the fault of her confessor, God
will demand of him an account of that soul: / will
require My flock at their hand? And the Apostle writes:
Obey your prelates, . . . for they watch, as being to render
an account of your souls* Hence, according to St. Greg
ory, a confessor has to render to God an account of as
many souls as he has penitents.6 And St. John Chry-
sostom says: " If we already tremble having to render
an account of our own sins, what awaits him who has to
render an account of so many souls ?" 7
This is not applicable to those good priests who, pene
trated with a holy fear, labor to qualify themselves for
this great office, and afterwards devote themselves to
the exercise of it, through the sole desire of bringing
souls to God. It is intended only for those who under
take to hear confessions through worldly motives, or
1 " Onus angelicis humeris formidandum." — Sess. 6, de Rcf. c. i.
2 " Periculosa res est, pro peccatoribus se fidejussorem constituere."
— DC Inst. Free I. c. 6.
3 " Nullibi periculosius erratur."
4 " Requiram gregem meum de manu eorum. " — Ezech. xxxiv. 10.
6 " Obedite praepositis vestris, et subjacete eis; ipsi enim pervigilant,
quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri." — Heb. xiii. 17.
6 " Quot regendis subditis praeest, reddendae apud eum rationis tern-
pore, ut ita dicam, tot solus animas habet." — Moral. \. 24, c. 30.
7 " Si horremus, dum peccatorum propriorum rationem reddituri
sumus, quid illi expectandum est, qui tarn multorum nomine causam sit
dicturus ?." — De Sacerd. 1. 3.
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 273
temporal interest, or self-esteem, or, as sometimes hap
pens, without the necessary learning.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO HEAR CONFESSIONS WELL.
St. Laurence Justinian says: " Many graces and not a
little knowledge is needed by him who desires to raise
souls to life." He, then, who wishes to hear confes
sions, stands in need of extensive knowledge. Some
imagine the science of Moral Theology to be easy, but
Gerson justly says that it is the most difficult of all
sciences. And before him St. Gregory said: "The
directing of souls is the art of arts."2 St. Gregory
Nazianzen writes: " To direct men seems to me to be
the greatest of all sciences." : St. Francis de Sales also
used to say that the office of confessor is of all offices
the most important and the most difficult. It is the
most important, because on it depends the eternal sal
vation of souls, which is the end of all the sciences. It
is the most difficult, because the science of Moral The
ology requires a knowledge of many other sciences, and
embraces an immense variety of matter. It is also most
difficult, because different decisions must be given, ac
cording to the different circumstances of the cases that
occur; for, a principle by which a case involving a cer
tain circumstance may be decided will not answer for
the solution of another case containing a different cir
cumstance.
Some disdain to read the works of the moralists, saying
that to hear confessions is enough to know the general
principles of Moral Theology, by which, they add, the
particular cases may be resolved. I answer: It is cer
tain that all cases must be decided by means of prin
ciples, but there is great difficulty in applying to par-
" Gratia indiget plurima, et sapientia non modica, qui proximorum
animas ad vitam resuscitate conatur. " — De Compunct. p. 2.
2 " Ars est artium regimen animarurn." — Past. p. i, c. i.
3 " Scientiascientiarum mihi esse videturhominem regere."— ApoL i.
18
274 Material for Instructions. IPART n.
ticular cases just principles of solution. This the
moralists have done. They have labored to explain the
principles by which many particular cases may be re
solved. Besides, at present there is a great number of
positive laws contained in the bulls and decrees of
Pontiffs, as well as in the ancient canons, and which a
confessor is obliged to know. Of these laws he who
neglects to read Moral Theology shall scarcely be able
to acquire a competent knowledge. The learned author
of The Instruction for Young Confessors justly says that
many divines are as deficient in Moral Theology as they
are profound in the speculative sciences. But, on the
other hand, Monsignor Sperelli asserts that it is a great
error in some confessors to devote all their time to
scholastic theology, considering the study of Moral
Theology as lost time, Such confessors, as he says, are
afterwards unable to distinguish one sin from another.
He then adds: " This is an error that will cause eternal
ruin both to the confessor and to the penitents." '
We must, then, be persuaded that to hear confessions
great science and also great prudence are required; for
with knowledge without prudence a confessor shall do
but little good, and to some his ministry will be more
injurious than beneficial.
3. CHARITY AND FIRMNESS THAT THE CONFESSOR SHOULD HAVE.
Sanctity is still more necessary, on account of the
great fortitude which a confessor requires in the exercise
of his ministry. " Only he that is a great saint," says St.
Laurence Justinian, "can without injury to himself
occupy himself with the care of souls."5
I. A confessor requires a great fund of charity in re-
1 " Qui error confessarios simui et poenitentes in aeternum interitum
trahet."
2 " Nemo, nisi valde sanctus, absque sui detrimento, proximorum
curis occupatur." — De Casio Conn. c. 12.
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 275
ceiving all — the poor, the ignorant, and the vicious.
Some hear the confessions only of pious persons; but
when a poor peasant comes with a conscience loaded
with sins, they hear him with impatience, and send him
away with reproaches. Hence the miserable man, who
must have done great violence to himself in resolving
to go to confession, seeing himself dismissed in such a
manner, will conceive a horror for the sacrament, and a
dread of approaching it any more, and thus, through
despair, will abandon himself to a dissolute life. To
such confessors the Redeemer (who came to save sin
ners, and was therefore full of charity) says what he
said to his disciples: You know not of what spirit you
are.' But such is not the conduct of confessors who, in
obedience to the exhortation of the Apostle, put on the
bowels of charity: Put ye on, therefore, as the elect of God,
. . . the bowels of mercy? When a sinner comes to con
fession, the more abandoned he is, the more they labor
to assist him, and the greater the charity with which
they treat him. You are not, says Hugo of St. Victor,
appointed judges of crimes, to chastise, but, as it were,
judges of maladies to heal.": It is indeed necessary to
admonish the sinner, in order to make him understand
his miserable state, and the danger of damnation to
which he is exposed; but he must be always admonished
with charity, he must be excited to confidence in the
divine mercy, and must be taught the means by which
he may amend his life. And though the confessor
should be obliged to defer absolution, he ought to dis
miss the penitent with sweetness; fixing a day for him
to return, and pointing out the remedies that he must
1 " Nescitis cujus spiritus estis." — Ltike, ix. 55.
2 " Induite vos ergo, sicut elect! Dei, sancti et dilecti, viscera miseri
cord iae." — Col. iii. 12.
3 "Vos non, quasi judices criminum, ad percutiendum positi estis,
sed, quasi judices morborum, ad sanandum." — Misc. 1. I, tit. 49.
2 76 Material for Instructions. [PART n
practise in the mean time, in order to prepare himself
for absolution. Sinners are saved in this way, but not
by harshness and reproaches, which drive them to de
spair. St. Francis de Sales used to say: " More flies are
caught by a drop of honey than by a pound of aloes."
But some will say, if we treat sinners in this manner a
great deal of our time will be taken up, and others who
are waiting cannot be heard. But in answer I say, that
it is better to hear one confession well than to hear a
great number imperfectly. But the most appropriate
answer is, that the confessor has not to give an account
to God of the persons who are waiting, but only of the
person whose confession he has begun to hear.
II. The confessor also stands in need of great for
titude, and at first in hearing the confessions of women.
How many priests have lost their souls in hearing these
confessions! We must treat in the confessional with
young girls and young women; we must hear their
temptations and often the avowal of their falls; for they
also are of flesh and blood. We have a natural affec
tion for persons of the other sex, and this affection in
creases whenever they confide to us their miseries. But
if these persons are pious, devoted to spirituality, says
St. Thomas, the danger of an inordinate attachment is
yet greater, since this natural affection is still more
strongly attracted; but, continues the saint, if mutual
affection increases, the attachment wrill also increase in
the same proportion; it will assume at first the appear
ance of piety, and the devil will easily succeed in mak
ing " the spiritual devotion change into carnal devo
tion." 1
Great fortitude is necessary in correcting penitents
and in refusing absolution to those who have not the
requisite dispositions, without any regard to their rank
or power, or to the loss or injury which the confessor
1 " Spiritualis devotio convertatur in carnalem." — De Modo con fit.
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 277
may sustain, or to the imputations of indiscretion or of
ignorance which may be cast upon him. Seek not, says
the Holy Ghost, to be made a judge unless thoit hast strength
enough to extirpate iniquities, lest thou fear the person of the
powerful? A Father of our Congregation had occasion
to hear in the sacristy the confession of a priest, whom he
refused to absolve. The priest, rising up in a proud and
haughty manner, said to him: " Begone ! you are a
brute." But there is no remedy: poor confessors must
submit to such inconveniences and insults. For it often
happens that they are bound to refuse or to defer abso
lution, either because the penitent will not do what they
require of him, or because he is a relapsing sinner, or
because he is in the proximate occasion of sin. And
here it is necessary to examine how a confessor should
treat relapsing sinners, and those who are in the occa
sion of sin. For, in order to save his penitents, the con
fessor should attend with the greatest care to relapsing
sinners, and to those who are in the occasion of sin.
But, before we enter on this subject, it is necessary to
remark, that a confessor exposes himself to as much
danger of damnation by treating his penitents with too
much rigor as he does by treating them with excessive
indulgence.
Too much indulgence, says St. Bonaventure, begets
presumption, and too much rigor leads to despair.2
There is no doubt that many err by being too indulgent:
and such persons cause great havoc — and I say even
the greatest havoc; for libertines, who are the most
numerous class, go in crowds to these lax confessors,
" Noli quaerere fieri judex, nisi valeas virtute irrumpere iniquitates,
ne forte extimescas faciem potentis." — Ecdus. vii. 6.
2 " Cavenda est conscientia nimis larga, et nimis stricta; nam prima
generat praesumptionem, secunda desperationem. Prima saepe salvat
damnandum; secunda, e contra, damnat salvandum.'' — Comp. theol. 1. 2,
c. 52.
278 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
and find in them their own perdition. But it is also
certain that confessors who are too rigid cause great
evil. You ruled over them with rigor, and with a high hand.
And My sheep were scattered? etc. Too much rigor, says
Gerson, serves only to bring souls to despair, and from
despair to the abyss of vice.2 Hence he says in another
place: " The Doctors of theology should not, if they are
not certain, be so ready to assert that certain sins are
mortal sins." 3 Such also is the doctrine of St. Raymond.
" Do not be so prone," says the saint, " to declare mor
tal sins, unless it be clear from Scripture." 4 St. Antonine
teaches the same. " It is very dangerous," he says, " to
decide whether or not something is mortal, if this be not
clear from the authority of Scripture, of a canon, or of an
evident reason. "' For, as the saint adds, he who, with
out some of the above-mentioned grounds, pronounces
an action to be a mortal sin, exposes souls to the danger
of damnation.6 Speaking of the vain ornaments of
women the same holy archbishop says: " From what
has been said it seems that we must conclude that if the
confessor clearly and undoubtedly sees that one cannot
use such an ornament without mortal sin, he cannot
give absolution if the penitent does not take the resolu-
1 " Cum austeritate imperabitis eis, et cum potentia; et dispersae sunt
oves meae." — Ezech. xxxiv. 4.
2 " Per tales assertiones nimis duras et strictas, praesertim in non
certissimis, nequaquam eruuntur homines aluto peccatorum, sed in illud
profundius, quia desperatius, immerguntur."
3 " Doctores theologi ne sint faciles asserere actiones aliquas aut omis-
siones esse mortalia, praesertim. in non certissimis." — De Vita. sp. led.
4, cor. ii.
4 " Non sis nimis pronus judicare mortalia peccata, ubi tibi non con-
stat per certam Scripturam." — Stimm. 1. 3, de Pcenit. § 21.
5 " Quoestio qua quaeritur de aliquo actu utrum sit peccatum mortale
vel non, nisi ad hoc habeatur auctoritas expressa Scripturae sacrae, aut
canonis, seu determinationis Ecclesiae, vel evidens ratio, non nisipericu-
losissime determinatur." — P. 2, tit. i, c. n, § 28.
6 "^Edificat ad gehennam."
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 279
tion to avoid such a sin. But if one does not clearly see
whether this is a mortal sin, one must not hasten to a
decision by either refusing absolution or by representing
it to the penitent as a mortal sin. If the penitent should
afterwards do the same thing, it would be for him a mor
tal sin, even if it were in itself no mortal sin; for every
thing that is against conscience exposes the soul to
damnation. And since one should use his power rather
to loosen than to bind, and it is better to have to give
an account to the Lord for too great mercy than too
great rigor, as St. John Chrysostom teaches, it seems to
be better to absolve such penitents and to leave them to
the divine judgment." l Silvester teaches the same doc
trine; he says: "I say with St. Antonine, that one may
with a good conscience choose an opinion and act accord
ing to it, if he has on his side notable teachers, and if it
is not opposed to any decision of Scripture, of the
Church, etc."2 And this is also the opinion of John
Nider, who, after giving the opinion of Doctor William,
quotes the passage of Bernard of Clermont or of Gan-
nat of Auvergne: " If among the masters of sacred
1 " Ex prsedictis igitur videtur dicendum quod, ubi in hujusmodi
ornatibus confessor inveniat clare et indubitanter mortale, talem non
absolvat, nisi proponat abstinere a tali crimine. Si vero non potest
clare perspicere utrum sit mortale vel veniale, non videtur tune prae-
cipitanda sententia (ut dicit Gulielmus specie in quadam simili), ut
scilicet deneget propter hoc absolutionem, vel illi faciat conscientiam
de mortali; quia, faciendo postea contra illud, etiamsi illud non esset
mortale, ei erit mortale, quia omne quod est contra conscientiam,
aedificat ad gehennam. Et cum promptiora sint jura ad solvendum
quam ad ligandum (Can. Ponderet, dist. i), et melius sit Domino reddere
rationem de nimia misericordia quam de nimia severitate, ut dicit
Chrysostomus (Can. Alligant, 26, q. 7), potius videtur absolvendum et
divino examini dimittendum." — P. 2, tit. 4, c. 5, § 8.
2 " Dico, secundum Archiepiscopum, quod tuta conscientia potest
quis eligere unam opinionem, et secundum earn operari, si habeat
notabiles doctores, et non sit expresse contra determinationem Scrip
ture vel Ecclesiae, etc." — Sum?na, verbo Scrupulus, 5°-
280 Material for Instructions.. [PART n
science some say that there is a mortal sin and others
deny that it is, then we must consult some learned and
prudent persons in whom we have confidence, and after
having taken their advice we must decide whether or
not there is a sin. For the moment that the masters
discuss among themselves and the Church has not given
any decision, one may freely embrace that opinion in
favor of which we can cite the testimony of wise and pru
dent persons. ' 1 And this is conformable to the teaching
of St. Thomas. " He who adopts the opinion of a particu
lar Doctor against a formal text of Scripture or against
the universal sentiment of the Church, cannot be excused
from culpable error."2 Then, according to the angelic
Doctor, a person is excused from error when the opinion
that he holds rests on the foundation of authority, and
is not opposed to any clear passage of Scripture or to
any definition of the Church. Finally, the same doc
trine has been laid down more clearly by Gabriel Biel,
who flourished in the year 1480. " The opinion," he says.
" that is more probable to me is, that we must never
condemn as a mortal sin anything for which we cannot
allege either a very evident reason or the formal testi
mony of Scripture." :
1 " Concordat etiam Bernardus Claramontensis, dicens: Si sunt opini-
ones inter magnos dicentes quod peccatum est, alii vero dicunt quod
non, tune debet consulere aliquos, de quorum judicio confidit, et secun-
dum consilium discretorum facere, et peccatum reputare vel non re
putare; ex quo enim opiniones sunt inter magnos, et Ecclesia non de-
terminavit alteram pattern, teneat quam voluerit, dummodo judicium in
hoc resideat propter dicta eorum saltern quos reputat peritos." — ConsoL
tim. consc. p. 3, c. 12.
'2 " Qui ergo assentit opinioni alicujus magistri, contra manifestum
Scripturae testimonium, sive contra id quod publice tenetur secundum
Ecclesiae auctoritatem, non potest ab erroris vitio excusari." — Quodlib.
3, a. 10.
3 " Prima opinio videtur probabilior, quia nihil debet damnari tam-
quam mortale peccatum, de quo non habetur evidens ratio vel manifesta
auctoritas Scripturae." — In 4 Sent. d. 16, q. 4, concl. 5.
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 281
4. HOW TO ACT IN REGARD TO THOSE LIVING IN THE OCCASION OF
SlN AND THOSE WHO ARE RELAPSING SlNNERS.
But let us come to particulars, and examine how a
confessor ought to treat persons who are in the proxi
mate occasion of sin, and habitual sinners who relapse
into any vice. With regard to those who are in the
occasion of sin, it is necessary first to distinguish various
kinds of occasions.
I. The occasion may be remote or proximate. The re
mote occasion is that in which a person rarely sins or
in which men, commonly speaking, seldom fall. The
occasion that is itself1 proximate is that in which men
always, or nearly always, fall. The occasion that is
proximate by accident,2 or the respective occasion, is
that in which a particular person frequently sins. This
is the correct definition of the respective occasion, ac
cording to the true and common opinion of theologians,
in opposition to those who hold that the proximate
occasion is that in which a person always, or nearly
always, yields to sin. The occasion of sin is also divided
into voluntary and necessary. The occasion is voluntary
when it can be removed; it is necessary when it cannot
be avoided without grievous loss or grievous scandal to
others.
Many theologians say that he who is in the voluntary
proximate occasion may be absolved once or twice, pro
vided he has a firm purpose of removing it as soon as
possible. But here it is 'necessary to distinguish, with
St. Charles Borromeo, in his Instructions to Confessors,
occasions that are in esse, — such as when a person keeps
a concubine in his house, — from those that are not in esse,
such as when in gaming or conversation a person falls
into blasphemies, quarrels, and the like.
In the occasions that are not in esse, St. Charles says
1 "Per se." 2 " Per accidens."
282 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
that the penitent who sincerely promises to renounce
them may be absolved the second or third time, but
unless he afterwards gives proof of amendment he
should not be absolved until he has actually removed
the occasion. In the occasions which are in esse the
saint says that a promise is not sufficient, and that the
penitent cannot be absolved until he has taken away
the occasion of 'sin. Ordinarily speaking, this opinion
should certainly be followed; as I have shown in my
Moral Theology1 by the authority of many authors. A
penitent who wishes to receive absolution before the re
moval of such an occasion is not disposed for the sacra
ment; because he is in the proximate danger of violating
his purpose as well as the obligation by which he is
bound under pain of mortal sin to remove the occasion.
To take away proximate occasions is very painful and
difficult, and can be effected only by doing great vio
lence to one's self. But he who has already received
absolution will scarcely offer such violence to himself.
Freed from the fear of being deprived of absolution, he
will flatter himself with the hope of being able to resist
temptations without taking away the occasion; and
thus remaining in the occasion, he will certainly relapse.
This we know by the experience of so many miserable
sinners who, after receiving absolution from over-indul
gent confessors, neglect to remove the occasion of sin:
thus they fall back, and become worse than before.
Hence, on account of the danger of violating the pur
pose that he has made of removing the occasion of sin,
the penitent who wishes to be absolved before he takes
it away is not disposed for absolution, and therefore the
confessor who absolves him is certainly guilty of sin.
And here let it be observed, that, generally speaking,
the greater the rigor with which the confessor treats his
penitents, when there is question of the danger of for-
1 Theol. Mor. 1. 6, n. 454.
INSTR. iv.] . The Sacrament of Penance. 283
mal sins, particularly against chastity, the more he will
pro-mote their sanctification. But, on the other hand,
the greater his indulgence, the greater his cruelty to
their souls. St. Thomas of Villanova says that con
fessors who are too indulgent are impiously merciful.1
Such charity is contrary to charity.
I have said ordinarily speaking j for in some rare cases
the confessor may absolve before the occasion is re
moved. For example, if the penitent had evinced a
strong determination to amend his life, along with
great compunction, and is unable to take away the
occasion for a long time; or if he could not return to
the same confessor; or if there should be other extraor
dinary circumstances which would oblige the confessor
to absolve him. But such cases are very rare. Hence
persons who are in the proximate occasion of sin can
scarcely ever be absolved until they have first removed
it; particularly if they promised at other times to take
away the occasion, but did not afterwards fulfil their
promise. It is useless to say that a penitent who is dis
posed for the sacrament has, after the confession of his
sins, a strict right to receive absolution; for it is the
common opinion of theologians that a person who has
confessed his sins has not a strict right to be imme
diately absolved, and that the confessor can and should,
as a spiritual physician, defer absolution whenever he
knows that by deferring it he will promote the amend
ment of his penitent.
What has been said applies to voluntary occasions:
but if the occasion be necessary, generally speaking there
is not a strict obligation of removing it; for when the
penitent does not wish, but rather suffers and permits
it against his will, he may hope for greater help from
God to resist the temptation. Hence, ordinarily speak
ing, he who is in a necessary occasion of sin may be
1 " Impie pios."
284 Material for Instructions. . [PART n.
absolved, provided he is determined to adopt all the
means necessary to guard against a relapse. There are
three principal means to be prescribed in necessary occa
sions. The first is to fly from the occasion and avoid
as much as possible being alone with the accomplice,
speaking confidentially with her, or looking at her. The
second is prayer and unceasing petition to God and the
Blessed Virgin for help to resist the temptation. The
third is the frequentation of the sacraments of penance
and of the Eucharist, by which strength is obtained to
resist temptations.
I have said generally speaking ; for when, after having
used all the means the penitent always relapses, without
any amendment, then, according to the more common
and true opinion, which is to be followed, he cannot be
absolved until he quits the occasion of sin, though it
should cost him his life,1 as the theologians say; for he
should prefer eternal to temporal life. I add, that
though, according to the rules of Moral Theology, a per
son who is in the necessary occasion of sin may be ab
solved whenever he is properly disposed for the sacra
ment, still, wrhen the occasion leads to sins against purity,
it will, ordinarily speaking, be expedient to defer abso
lution until it appears by the experience of a consider
able time, of twenty or thirty days, that the penitent
has been faithful in practising the means prescribed, and
that he has not relapsed. I also add, that when the
confessor knows that it will be useful to defer absolu
tion he is bound to defer it; for he is obliged to adopt
the most efficacious remedies for the amendment of his
penitent. I say, moreover, that when a person is long
habituated to sins of impurity, it will not be enough for
him to avoid proximate occasions: it will be also neces
sary for him to remove certain occasions which of them
selves would, perhaps, be remote, but with regard to
1 " Etiam cum jactura vitae."
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 285
him will be not remote, but proximate. Because by so
many relapses he has become weak and strongly inclined
to the vice of impurity.
II. With regard to relapsing sinners, it is necessary to
distinguish between them and habitual sinners.
Habitual sinners are those who have contracted a habit
of any vice, but have never confessed the habit. If they
are truly penitent, and firmly resolved to adopt the means
of overcoming their evil habit, they may be absolved the
first time they confess the habit, or when they confess
the sin after having, for a considerable time, retracted
the habit. But let it be observed, that when a penitent
has contracted a bad habit, particularly if it has become
inveterate, the confessor can certainly defer absolution,
in order to try by experience how the penitent practised
the means prescribed.
But relapsing sinners are those who after confession
have fallen back into the same habit without any amend
ment. They cannot be absolved when they show only
the ordinary signs of repentance— such as the confession
of their sins, along with the declaration that they are
penitent, and resolved to amend their lives. For Inno
cent XI. has justly condemned the following proposi
tion: "The moment that a sinner guilty of infringing a
divine law, either positive or natural, or a precept of the
Church, even if he gave no hope of amendment, but pro
tests at least that he repents and wishes to amend, one
cannot refuse or defer absolution." * Because although
the confession itself, along with a declaration on the
part of the habitual sinner that he is sorry for his sins,
and resolved to avoid them for the future, gives a kind
of moral certainty that he is disposed for the sacrament,
1 " Poenitenti habenti consuetudinem peccandi contra legem Dei.
naturae, aut Ecclesise, etsi emendationis nulla spes appareat, nee est
neganda nee differenda absolutio, dummodo ore proferat se dolere et
proponere emendationem." — Prop. damn. 60.
286 Material for Instructions. IPART n.
unless there is a presumption in favor of the contrary,
still when a habit has been contracted, and when, with
out any improvement, several relapses have taken place
after absolution, there is strong reason to suspect that
the sorrow and purpose of amendment of the penitent
are not sincere. Hence, such a penitent should not be
absolved until he shows by a change of conduct for
some time, and "by practising the means prescribed, that
he has the dispositions necessary for the sacrament.
Remember that this holds not only for those who re
lapse into mortal sin, but also for those who relapse into
venial sins, which many penitents confess through cus
tom, but without sorrow and a purpose of amendment.
If they wish to receive absolution, the confessor should
make them give certain matter for the sacrament, by
the confession of a more grievous sin of' their past life,
for which they are truly penitent, and which they are
firmly resolved to avoid for the future.
Hence, to absolve relapsing sinners, it is necessary for
the confessor to try for some time the sincerity of their
repentance; or at least to see some extraordinary signs
of sorrow, which exclude the conditions of the con
demned propositions, and give a well-founded hope of
their amendment. These signs are, according to the
theologians:
1. Great compunction, manifested by tears or by
words, proceeding not from the mouth but from the
heart. From expressions of this kind we sometimes
get more certainty of a penitent's fitness for absolution
than even from tears;
2. A considerable diminution in the number of sins,
though the penitent was exposed to the same occasions
and temptations;
3. Greater caution against relapses, by avoiding the
occasions, and by practising the means prescribed; or a
great struggle made before consenting to sin;
INSTR. iv.] The Sacrament of Penance. 287
4. When the penitent asks, with a sincere desire of
amendment, for new remedies or means of freeing him
self from the sin;
5. If he come to confession, not to conform to any
pious custom already established, such as the practice
of going to the sacraments at Christmas, or any other
determinate festival; not by the direction of a parent or
master, but through a desire infused by God of recover
ing the divine grace; particularly if the penitent has put
himself to great inconvenience in order to come to con
fession, by making a long journey; or if he has come
after a great struggle, or after doing great violence to
himself;
6. If he has been impelled to go to confession by
hearing a sermon, by the account of the sudden death
or some great calamity of another, or by any other
extraordinary spiritual motive;
7. If he confesses sins previously concealed through
shame;
8. If the penitent shows that by the admonition of
the confessor he has acquired new light, and a new
horror for his sins, and a new dread of the danger of
being lost;
9. Some theologians place among the extraordinary
signs of repentance a firm promise made by the peni
tent to practise the remedies prescribed by his con
fessor; but unless there is some other sign, the confessor
can seldom trust to such promises. For in order to
obtain absolution the more easily, penitents make many
promises that they are not firmly resolved to fulfil.
Whenever, then, there are such extraordinary signs, a
confessor may absolve a relapsing sinner; but he may
also defer absolution for some time, when he knows that
delay will be profitable to his- penitent. Some maintain
that it is not always expedient to defer the absolution of
a relapsing sinner who has the necessary dispositions;
288 Material for Instructions. LPARTH.
others teach that it is better to put off the absolution, un
less the delay and privation of Communion should give
others grounds of suspicion injurious to the reputation
of the penitent. My opinion is, as I have stated in my
Instructions to Confessors? that where there is no external
occasion, and the sins are committed through internal
frailty, such as blasphemies, hatred, pollution, morose
delectation, etc., it is seldom expedient to defer absolu
tion. For we may always hope for better fruit from the
aid of the grace which the penitent receives from the
sacrament than from the delay of absolution. But when
there is an external occasion, though necessary, I, as has
been already said, deem it expedient, and generally
speaking necessary, for the amendment of the penitent,
who is even disposed for the sacrament, to defer abso
lution.
1 Homo Apost. tr. tilt, punct. 2.
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 289
INSTRUCTION V.
MENTAL PRAYER.
I.
Necessity of Mental Prayer for Priests.
IF, as the most learned Suarez 1 has asserted, mental
prayer is morally necessary for all the faithful, it is still
more necessary for priests. Because priests stand in
need of greater help from God, on account of the greater
obligations by which they are bound to seek perfection,
of the greater sanctity of their state, and on account of
the office that they hold, of procuring the salvation of
souls. Hence, like mothers, who require more corporal
nutriment than others, because they have to support
themselves and their children, priests stand in need of
a double portion of spiritual nourishment. Hence St.
Ambrose says, that to teach us the necessity of mental
prayer our Saviour separated from the people, and went
up the mountain to pray,2 although he did not require
to go into solitary places in order to pray; for his blessed
soul, always enjoying the intuitive vision of God, was
employed in all places and in every occupation in the
contemplation of the divinity and in praying for us.
St. Luke tells us, that he spent entire nights in prayer.3
On this passage St. Ambrose says, if Jesus Christ has
spent nights in prayer for your salvation, how much
more ought you to pray.in order to save your soul!4
1 De Orat. 1. 2, c. 4.
2 " Et dimissa turba, ascendit in montem solus orare." — Matt. xiv. 23.
3 " Erat pernoctans in oratione." — Luke, vi. 12.
4 " Quid enim te pro salute tua facere oportet, quando pro te Chris-
tus in oratione pernoctat !"
290 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
Hence the saint has written in another place: "Priests
should always devote themselves to prayer." l Father
John d'Avila used to say, that the offices which a priest
holds of offering sacrifice and of offering incense go
together.2 Every one knows that incense signifies
prayer: Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight*
Hence St. John saw the angels having . . . golden vials
full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints." Oh,
what sweet odor do the prayers of good priests give to
God ! On account of the necessity of mental prayer
for ecclesiastics, St. Charles Borromeo ordained, in the
Council of Milan,5 that every ecclesiastic, before his
ordination, should be interrogated in a special manner
whether he knew how to make mental prayer, whether
he was in the habit of making it, and what meditations
he used. Father John d'Avila once dissuaded a person
from taking priesthood because he was not accustomed
to make mental prayer.
I do not intend to detail at length the reasons why
the practice of mental prayer is morally necessary for
every priest. It is enough to say, that without mental
prayer a priest has but little light; for without it he will
reflect but little on the great affair of salvation, he will
scarcely see the obstacles to it, and the obligations that
he must fulfil in order to be saved. Hence the Saviour
said to his disciples: Let your loins be girt, and lamps burn
ing in your hands.6 These lamps, says St. Bonaventure,7
1 " (Sacerdotes) die noctuque pro plebe sibi commissa oportet orare."
— /// i 7V///. iii.
2 " Incensum enim Domini et panes Dei sui offerunt." — Levit. xxi. 6.
3 " Dirigatur oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo." — Ps.
cxl. 2.
4 " Phialas aureas plenas odoramentorum, quse sunt orationes sanc
torum." — Apoc. v. 8.
5 Anno 1579, Const, p. 3, n. 2.
G "Sint lumbi vestri praecincti, et lucernse ardentes in manibus
vestris." — Luke, xii. 35.
7 DicEta sal. t. 2, c. 5.
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 291
are holy meditations, in which the Lord enlightens us.
Come ye to Him and be enlightened.1 He who does not
make mental prayer has but little light and little
strength. In the repose of meditation, says St. Ber
nard, we acquire strength to resist enemies and to prac
tise virtue.2 He who does not sleep during the night is
not able to stand steady, and goes tottering along the
road.
Be still and see that I am God* He who neglects to
withdraw, at least now and then, from the thoughts of
the world, and to retire to converse with God, has but
little knowledge or light regarding the things of eternity.
Seeing, one day, that his disciples had been greatly occu
pied in works of fraternal charity, Jesus Christ said to
them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little? Re
tire into some solitary place and rest a while. Our
Lord spoke of the repose, not of the body, but of the
spirit, which unless it retire from time to time to con
verse alone with God, has not strength to persevere in
doing good, but easily faints and falls into sin in the
occasions that occur. All our strength is in the divine
aid: / can do all things in Him who strengthened me? But
this aid God gives only to those who pray for it. He is
most desirous of dispensing his graces to us; but, as St.
Gregory says, he wishes that we pray to him. and that
we, as it were, compel him by our prayers to grant them
to us.6 But he who neglects mental prayer has but
little knowledge of his defects, of the dangers of losing
the divine grace, of the means of conquering tempta-
1 " Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini." — Ps. xxxiii. 6.
2 " Ex hoc otio vires proveniunt."
3 " Vacate, et videte quoniam ego sum Deus." — Ps. xlv. n.
" Venite seorsum in desertum locum, et requiescite pusillum." —
Mark, vi. 31.
& " Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat." — Phil. iv. 13.
0 " Vult Deus rogari, vult cogi, vult quadam importunitate vinci."—
In Ps. panit, 6
292 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
tions, and of the need he has of asking God's graces;
thus he will neglect to ask them, and neglecting to pray
for them, he shall certainly be lost. Hence St. Teresa
of Jesus used to say, that he who neglects mental prayer
does not stand in need of devils to carry him to hell, but
brings himself to that land of woe.1
Some say many vocal prayers; but he who does not
make mental prayer will scarcely say his vocal prayers
with attention: he will say them with distractions, and
the Lord will not hear him. "Many cry to God," says
St. Augustine, "but not with the voice of the soul, but
with the voice of the body;2 only the cry of the heart,
of the soul, reaches God."J It is not enough to pray
only with the tongue: we must, according to the Apostle,
pray also with the heart if we wish to receive God's
graces: Praying at all times in the spirit." And by experi
ence we see that many persons who recite a great num
ber of vocal prayers, the Office and the Rosary, fall into
sin, and continue to live in sin. But he who attends to
mental prayer scarcely ever falls into sin, and should
he have the misfortune of falling into it, he will hardly
continue to live in so miserable a state; he will either
give up mental prayer, or renounce sin. Meditation
and sin cannot stand together. However abandoned a
soul may be, if she perseveres in meditation God will
bring her to salvation. All the saints have become
saints by mental prayer. "By prayer," says St. Laur
ence Justinian, "fervor is renewed, and the fire of divine
love is increased. "£ St. Ignatius used to say, that to
1 Life, ch. 19.
8 " Multi clamant, non voce sua, sed corporis. Cogitatio tua clamor
est ad Dominum." — In Ps. 141.
3 " Clama intus, ubi Deus audit." — /;/ Ps. 30, en. 4.
4 " Orantes omni tempore in spiritu." — Eph. vi. 18. — Life, ch. 8.
5 " Ex oratione fugatur tentatio, abscedit tristitia, virtus reparatur,
excitatur fervor, et divint amoris flamma succrescit." — De Casto Conn.
c. 22. — Ribadeneira, 1. 5, c. I.
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 293
remove the disturbance of mind caused by the greatest
calamity that could befall him, a meditation of a quarter
of an hour would be sufficient. St. Bernard has written:
" Consideration rules the affections, directs the actions,
corrects excesses."1 St. John Chrysostom regards as
dead the soul that does not make mental prayer.2 Ruf-
finus says that all the progress of the soul depends on
meditation.8 And Gerson goes so far as to assert that
he who does not meditate, cannot, without a miracle,
lead a Christian life.1 Speaking of the perfection to
which every priest is bound, St. Aloysius Gonzaga justly
said that without a great zeal for mental prayer a soul
will never attain great virtue.5
(He who desires more detailed proofs of the moral
necessity of mental prayer, is referred to the chapter on
meditation in the True Spouse of Jesus Christ, Ch. XV ) *
II.
Answer to Excuses.
I here omit many other arguments that I could ad
duce in favor of the necessity of mental prayer; I will
only answer three excuses put forward by priests who
neglect meditation.
1 " Consideratio regit affectus, dirigit actus, corrigit excessus." — De
Consid. 1. i, c. 7.
2 " Quisquis non orat Deum, nee divino ejus colloquio cupit assidue
frui, is mortuus est. . . . Animae mors est, non provolvi coram Deo."
— De or. Deo, 1. I.
3 " Omnis profectus spiritualis ex meditatione procedit." — In Ps. 36.
4 " Absque meditationis exercitio, nullus, secluso miraculo Dei, ad
Christianse religionis normam attingit." — De Med. cons. 7.
5 Cepari, 1. 2, c 3.
* Volume X., page 441. See also Discourse on the same subject at
the end of this work, and the complete treatise on mental prayer that
has been given in Volume III., page 252. — ED.
294 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
I. Some say, " I do not make mental prayer, because I
am subject to desolation, to distractions, and to tempta
tions; I have a wandering mind that I cannot confine to
the subject of meditation, and therefore I have given up
mental prayer."
But to such persons St. Francis de Sales says,1 that
if in their meditations they do nothing else than banish
distractions and temptations, the meditation is well
made, provided the distraction is not voluntary. The
Lord is pleased with a good intention, with a patient
endurance, during the whole time prescribed for medi
tation, and with the pain arising from distractions, and
will bestow many graces in return. We ought to go to
prayer, not to please ourselves, but to please God. Even
holy souls generally suffer aridity in meditation, but
because they persevere, God enriches them with his
blessings. St. Francis de Sales used to say, an ounce
of prayer made amid desolations is of greater value
before God than a hundred pounds of it in the midst of
consolations. Even statues do honor to a prince by
standing in his galleries. Whenever, then, the Lord
wishes us to remain as statues in his presence, let us be
content to honor him as statues. It will then be enough
to say to him: Lord, I remain here to please you.
St. Isidore says that the devil never labors so hard
to tempt and distract us as in the time of meditation.2
And why ? because he knows the great fruit that we
draw from meditation, and therefore he endeavors to
make us give it up. They, then, who abandon mental
prayer on account of the tediousness that they feel in
it, give great delight to the devil. In the time of aridity
the soul should do nothing else than humble herself
and ask God's graces. She should humble herself, for
1 Lettre 629.
2 " Tune magis diabolus cogitationes curarum saeculanum ingerit,
quando orantem aspexerit." — Sent. 1. 3, c. 7.
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 295
there is no better time for understanding our own mis
eries and insufficiency than when we are desolate in
prayer: we then see that of ourselves we can do nothing.
Hence we should do nothing else than, uniting our
selves with Jesus, desolate on the cross, humble our
selves and ask mercy, saying and repeating, Lord, assist
me: Lord, have mercy on me: my Jesus, mercy. Medi
tation made in this manner will be the most fruitful
of all; for to the humble God opens his hands and dis
penses his graces: God resisteth the proud, and give th His
grace to the humble.1 Let us then, more than ever, fer
vently implore mercy for ourselves and for poor sinners.
God requires, in a special manner, of priests that they
pray for sinners. The priests, the Lord's ministers, shall
weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare Thy people: But
in answer to this some may say: It is enough for me to
say the divine office. But St. Augustine writes, that the
barking of dogs is more pleasing to God than the pray
ers of bad ecclesiastics. The ecclesiastic who neglects
mental prayer soon falls away from virtue, for without
meditation he shall scarcely acquire the ecclesiastical
spirit.3
II. Others say, If I neglect mental prayer, I do not
mis-spend my time; I employ it in study
But the Apostle said to Timothy: Take heed to thyself
and to doctrine* Attend first to thyself, that is, to prayer,
and then to doctrine, that is, to study, in order to pro
cure the salvation of others. If we are not saints, how
can we make others become saints ? " Happy he that
1 " Deus superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam."— James,
iv. 6.
2 " Plorabunt Sacerdotes, ministri Domini, etdicent: Parce, Domine,
parce populo tuo." — Joel, ii. 17.
3 " Plus placet Deo latratus canum, quam oratio talium clericorum."
— Corn, a Lap. in Levit. i. 17.
4 " Attende tibi et doctrinse.." — I Tim. iv. 16.
296 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
knows Thee, even if he knows nothing else," says St.
Augustine.1 If we knew all sciences and knew not how
to love Jesus Christ, our knowledge shall profit us
nothing to eternal life. But if we know how to love
Jesus Christ, we shall know all things, and shall be
happy for eternity. Happy, then, the man to whom is
given the science of the saints, that is, the science of
loving God: She gave him the knowledge of the holy things?
A single word from a priest who truly loves God will
produce more fruit in others than a thousand sermons
of the learned who love God but little.
But this science of the saints is not acquired by the
study of books, but by mental prayer, in which the
master who instructs and the book that is read is a
crucified God. Being asked one day by St. Thomas
from what book he had acquired so much learning, St.
Bonaventure pointed to the crucifix, and said that there
he had acquired all his knowledge. Sometimes a person
learns more in a moment during the time of meditation
than he would in ten years spent in the study of books.
" In the soul," says St. Bonaventure, " there is left, by
the desire of unitive love, incomparably greater knowl
edge than by study." :
Human sciences require a good understanding; in the
science of the saints it is enough to have a good will.
He who loves God most ardently, knows him best.
Love, says St. Gregory,4 is knowledge; and according
to St. Augustine, to love is to see.5 David exhorts us
to taste and see how sweet the Lord is: O taste and see
1 " Beatus, qui te scit, etiamsi ilia nesciat." — Conf. 1. 5, c. 4.
2 " Et dedit illi scientiam sanctorum." — Wisd. x. 10.
3 " In anima incomparabiliter, per amoris unitivi desideria, perfectio
amplioris cognitionis relinquitur, quam studendo requiratur." — Myst.
Theol. c. 3, p. 2.
4 " Amor ipse notitia est." — In Evang. horn. 27.
* " Amarc, videre est."
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 297
that the Lord is sweet.1 He who tastes God most by
loving him, sees him most clearly, and has the most
perfect knowledge of the immensity of his goodness.
He who tastes honey has a more correct notion of it
than all the philosophers who study and explain its
properties. " If," said St. Augustine, " God is wisdom,
a true philosopher is a lover of God." * God is wisdom
itself; then the true philosopher (by philosopher is
meant a person who loves wisdom) is one who truly
loves God.
To learn worldly sciences much time and labor are
necessary; but to learn the science of the saints it is
enough to wish and ask for it. The wise man says that
Wisdom . . . is easily seen by them that love her, and is
found by them that seek her. She preventcth them that covet
her, so that she first showeth herself to them? The divine
wisdom is easily found by all that seek and covet her;
she is found, even before she is sought. He thatwatcheth
early to seek her shall not labor, for he shall find her sitting
at his door* He who seeks her with diligence shall not
labor to find her, for he shall find her sitting at his door
waiting for him. Finally, Solomon concludes: Now all
good things came to me with her 5 That is, he who finds
wisdom, or the love of God, finds all goods.
Oh, how much more did St. Philip Neri learn in the
grottoes of St. Sebastian, where he spent entire nights
in meditation, than in all the books that he had read!
How much more did St. Jerome learn in the cave of
1 " Gustate, et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus." — Ps. xxxiii. 9.
2 " Si sapientia Deus est, verus philosophus est arnator Dei." — DC
Civ. Dei. 1. 8, c. i.
3 " Sapientia , . facile videtur ab his qui diligunt earn, et inveni-
tur ab his qui quaerunt illam. Prseoccupat, qui se concupiscunt, ut illis
se prior ostendat." — Wisd. vi. 13.
4 " Qui de luce vigilaverit ad illam, non laborabit; assidentem enim
illam foribus suis inveniet." — Ib. 15.
5 " Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum ilia." — Jib. vii. n.
298 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
Bethlehem than in all his studies! Father Suarez used
to say that he would rather lose all his knowledge than
one hour's mental prayer. " May the wise men of this
world," says St. Paulinus, " possess their wisdom, the
rich their riches, the kings their kingdoms. Jesus Christ
is our wisdom, our riches, our kingdom." ] Let the
learned of the world enjoy their wisdom, let the rich
possess their wealth, and kings their kingdoms, but let
Jesus Christ be our wisdom, our riches, our kingdom;
let us say with St. Francis. " My God and my all." :
This true wisdom we should in a special manner ask
of God, for he will certainly give it to all who pray for
it. If any of you want wisdom, says St. James, let him ask
of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not.3
I do not deny that study is useful, and even necessary
for priests; but the study of the crucifix is still more
necessary. In a letter to Jovius, who devoted a great
deal of time to the study of the works of the philoso
phers, but through pretence of not having time, paid
but little attention to the exercises of a spiritual life, the
same St. Paulinus writes. " You have time to be a
'philosopher, but you have no time to be a Christian."^
Some priests spend so much time in the study of mathe
matics, geometry, astronomy, and profane history (oh
that they would at least study what is better suited to
their state), and afterwards say that they have not time
to make mental prayer. To them it should be said:
" You have time to be a learned mail, but you have no
1 " Sfbi habeant sapientiam suam philosophi, sibi divitias suas divi-
tes, sibi regna sua reges, nobis gloria, et possessio, et regnum, Chris-
tus est." — Ep. ad Aprum.
2 "Deus meus, etomnia!"
3 " Si quis autem vestrum indiget sapientia, postulet a Deo, qtii dat
omnibus affluenter, et non improperat." — James, i. 5.
4 " Vacat tibi ut philosophus sis; non vacat ut christianus sis ?" — Ep.
ad Jovium.
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 299
time to be a priest." ' Seneca says that we have little
time, because we lose a great deal of it.2 And in another
place he says: "We are ignorant of what is necessary,
because we learn what is superfluous."1
III. Others say I would wish to make mental prayer,
but I am so much occupied in hearing confessions and
preaching, that I have not a moment to spare.
I answer: I praise you, dearly beloved priest, for seek
ing the salvation of souls, but I cannot praise you for
forgetting yourself in order to assist others. We must
attend first to ourselves by making mental prayer, and
then to our neighbor. The holy apostles labored more
than all others for the salvation of souls, but finding
that their exertions for the good of others interfered
with prayer, they appointed deacons for the perform
ance of the external works of charity, that thus they
themselves might have time for prayer and the preach
ing of the divine word: Brethren, may we appoint men over
this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word." But remark, they at
tended first to prayer, and then to preaching; because
without prayer sermons produce but little fruit. This
is what St. Teresa wrote to the Bishop of Osma, who
paid great attention to the care of his flock, but devoted
little time to prayer. " Our Lord," says the saint in a
letter to him, "has shown me that you are wanting in
what is particularly necessary for you (and when the
foundation gives way the edifice falls to ruin); you fail
in mental prayer, and do not persevere in it; from this
defect arises the aridity which the soul suffers." 5 St.
1 " Vacat tibi ut eruditus sis; non vacat ut Sacerdos sis?"
2 " Non exiguum tempus habemus, sed multum perdimus." — De
Brevit V. c. I.
3 " Necessaria ignoramus, quia superflua addiscimus."
4<<Fratres, viros, . . . constituamus super hoc opus. Nos vero
orationi et ministerio verbi instantes erimus." — Acts, vi. 3.
6 Lettre 8..
300 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
Bernard admonished Pope Eugene not to omit medita
tion on account of external affairs; and added, that he
who gives up mental prayer may fall into hardness of
heart, which will destroy all remorse for his faults, so
that after having committed them he shall feel no
hatred for them.1
St, Laurence Justinian says that the works of Martha,
without the recollection of Mary, cannot be perfect.8
He deceives himself, says the saint, who expects, with
out the aid of prayer, to succeed in the work of saving
souls — a work as dangerous as it is sublime; without the
reflection of mental prayer, he shall certainly faint on
the way.3 Our Lord commanded his disciples to preach
what they heard in prayer: That which you hear in the
ear, preach ye upon the housetops? By the ear in this
place is understood the ear of the heart, to which God
promises to speak in the solitude of prayer: I will lead
her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart?
In -prayer, says St. Paulinus, we conceive the spirit,
which we must afterwards communicate to others.6
Hence, speaking of priests, St. Bernard complained,
that though a priest should be first a cistern, that is, full
of holy lights and affections collected in prayer, and
afterwards a canal to diffuse them among his neighbors,
still there are in the Church many canals and few cis-
1 " Timeo tibi, Eugeni, ne multitude negotiorum, intermissa oratione
et consideratione, te ad cor durum perducat; quod seipsum non ex-
horret, quia nee sentit." — De Cons. 1. i, c. 2.
2 " Marthae studium, absque Mariae gustu, non potest esse perfec-
tum."
" Fallitur quisquis opus hoc periculosum, absque orationis praesidio,
consummare se posse putat; in via deficit, si ab interna maneat refec-
tione jejunus." — De Inst. prccl. c. u.
4 " Quod in aure auditis, praedicate super tecta." — Matth. x. 27.
5 " Ducam earn in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor ejus." — Osee, ii. 14.
6 " In oratione fit conceptio spiritualis." — E£. ad Severium.
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 301
terns.1 Hence before a priest engages in works of charity
to others he should have recourse to prayer, says St.
Laurence Justinian.2 Hence, on the passage of the Can
ticles, Draw me; we will run after Thee in the odor of Thy
ointments? St. Bernard has written, that the priest who has
zeal for the salvation of souls ought to say to God: "I
will run not alone; others shall run with me: we will
run after Thee in the odor of Thy ointments; that is,
we will hasten after Thee, attracted by Thy example.4
My God, draw me to Thyself; for drawn by Thee, I will
run with Thee, and others also shall run with me: I shall
run, drawn by the odor of Thy ointments; that is, by
the inspirations and graces that I shall receive in prayer,
others shall be drawn by my example.
That a priest may be able to draw many souls to God,
he must first prepare himself to be drawn by God. Such
has been the conduct of holy workmen in God's vine
yard — of St. Dominic, St. Philip Neri, St. Francis
Xavier, St. John Francis Regis. They employed the
day in laboring for the people, and spent the night in
prayer, and persevered in that holy exercise until they
were overcome by sleep. A priest of moderate learning
and great zeal will bring more souls to God than a great
number of tepid though learned priests. St. Jerome
says, " A man inflamed with zeal is sufficient to amend
an entire people." ' A single word from a priest in
flamed with holy charity will do more good than a
1 Concham te exhibebis, non canalem. Canales hodie in Ecclesia
multos habemus, conchas vero perpaucas." — In Cant. s. 18.
* " Difficile est proximorum lucris insistere. Priusquam hujusmodi
studiis se tradat, orationi intendat." — De Tr. Chr. Ag. c. 7.
3 " Trahe me; post te curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum." —
Cant. i. 3.
4 " Non curram ego sola, current et adolescentulse mecum; curremus
simul, ego odore unguentorum tuorum, illae meo excitatae exemplo."-
In Cant, s. 21.
5 " Sufficit unus homo zelo succensus totum corrigere populum."
302 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
hundred sermons composed by a theologian who has
but little love of God. St. Thomas of Villanova used to
say that words of fire, which are, as it were, darts of the
fire of divine love, are necessary to wound and "inflame
hearts with the love of God. But how, adds the saint,
can these darts of fire issue from a heart of snow ? It is
meditation that inflames the heart of holy workmen in
the vineyard of the Lord, and transforms them from
snow into fire. Speaking especially of the love that
Jesus Christ has borne us, the Apostle says: For the
charity of Christ presseth us.1 He means that it is im
possible for any one to meditate on the sorrows and
ignominies that our Redeemer has endured for us with
out being inflamed, and without seeking to inflame
others, with his love: You shall drawiswters with joy, says
the Prophet Isaias, out of the Saviour s fountains? The
fountains of the Saviour are the examples of the life of
Jesus Christ, from the consideration of which souls draw
sweet waters, lights, and holy affections; and inflamed
with these affections, they endeavor to kindle them, also,
in others, exhorting them to confess and praise, and love
the goodness of our God.
III.
The Recitation of the Divine Office.
(It may be useful to say something here on the reci
tation of the divine Office.)
By the divine Office God is honored, the fury of the
enemy is repelled, and the divine mercies are obtained
for sinners. But to attain these ends it is necessary to
recite the Office in a proper manner: it is necessary to
say it "carefully and devoutly,"3 as the fifth Council of
1 " Charitas enim Christi urget nos." — 2 Cor. v. 14.
2 " Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus Salvatoris; et dicetis indie
ilia: Confitemini Domino, et invocate nomen ejus." — Isa. xii. 3.
3 " Studiose et devote."
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 303
Lateran1 has taught, in the celebrated Canon Dolentes.
Care/idly, by pronouncing the words distinctly; devoutly,
that is, with attention, as Cassian teaches: " Let that be
considered in the heart which is uttered by the lips."'2
How, asks St. Cyprian, can you expect that God will
hear you when you do not hear yourself ? 3 Prayer made
with attention is the odoriferous incense that is most
agreeable to God, and obtains treasures of grace; but
prayer made with voluntary distraction is a fetid smoke
that provokes the divine wrath, and merits chastisement.
Hence, while we recite the Office, the devil labors stren
uously to make us say it with distractions and defects.
We should, then, take all possible care to recite it in a
proper manner. We here give some practical advice:
1. It is necessary to enliven our faith, and to consider
that in reciting the divine Office we unite with the
angels in praising God. " We begin 'here upon earth
the office of the inhabitants of heaven," 4 says Tertullian.
We then perform on earth the office of the citizens of
heaven, who unceasingly praise God, and shall praise
him for eternity.5 Hence, as St. John Chrysostom re
marks, before we enter the church or take up the brevi
ary we must leave at the door and dismiss all thoughts
of the world.0
2. In reciting the divine Office we must take care that
our affections accompany the sentiments contained in
what we read. It is necessary, says St. Augustine: " We
1 Cap. Dolentes, de Cel. Missar.
" Hoc versatur in corde, quod profertur in voce." — Ep. 211, E. B.
" Quomodo te audiri a Deo postulas, cum te ipsc non audias ?" —
De Or. Dom.
" Officium futurae claritatis ediscimus." — De Or.
" In saecula saeculorum laudabunt te." — Ps. Ixxxiii. 5.
" Ne quis ingrediatur templum curis onustus mundanis; hac
ante ostium deponamus." — In Is. honi. 2.
304 Material for Instructions, [PART n.
must pray when the Psalmist prays, sigh when he sighs,
hope when he hopes.1
3. It is useful to renew our attention from time to
time; for example, at the beginning of every psalm.
4. We must be careful not to give occasion to mental
distractions. How can he who recites the Office in a
public place, or in the midst of persons who are jesting
and amusing themselves, — how, I ask, can he say it with
piety and devotion ?
Oh! what treasures do they lay up who daily recite
the divine Office with devout attention ! St. John
Chrysostom says that they are filled with the Holy
Ghost.2 But, on the other hand, they who say it negli
gently lose great merits, and have to render a great
account to God.*
1 " Si oral Psalmus, orate; si gemit, gemite; si sperat, sperate." —
In Ps. xxx. en. 4.
2 " Implentur Spiritu Sancto."— In Eph. horn. 19.
* We may see a more extended instruction on the recitation of the
Office in the True Spouse of Jesiis Christ, Ch. 24, Vol. XI., page 189.
We may also find a short treatise on the same subject at the end of
the next volume (Volume XIII.). — ED.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 305
INSTRUCTION VI.
HUMILITY.
Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart?
Humility and meekness were the two beloved virtues of
Jesus Christ, in which he wished in a special manner to
be imitated by his disciples. We shall speak first of
humility, and afterwards of meekness.
Necessity of Humility.
St. Bernard says, "The higher one is placed, the hum
bler one should be."2 The more exalted, then, the
dignity of the priest, the greater should be his humil
ity; otherwise, if he fall into sin, the greater the height
from which he is precipitated, the more disastrous his
fall. Hence St. Laurence Justinian says that the priest
should regard humility as the most precious jewel that
shines forth in his character.3 And St. Augustine writes:
"The highest honor should be united with the greatest
humility."4 And before him, Jesus Christ said, He that
is the greater among you, let him become as the younger?
Humility is truth. Hence the Lord has said, that if we
" Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde." — -Matth. xi. 29.
2 " Tanto quisque debet esse humilior, quanto est sublimior." — De
7 Donis Sp. S.
3 " Humilitas est Sacerdotum gemma." — De lust, prccl. c 21.
4 " In summo honore summa tibi sit humilitas." — De Virt. et Vit.
c. 10.
5 " Qui major est in vobis, fiat sicut minor." — Luke xxii. 26.
20
306 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
know how to separate the precious from the vile, that
is, what belongs to God from what belongs to ourselves,
we should be like his mouth, which always speaks truth:
If thou wilt separate the precious from the vile, thou shalt be
as My mouth.1 Hence we must always pray with St.
Augustine: "O Lord, may I know Thee, may I know
myself!"5 St. Francis of Assisi, admiring in God his
greatness and goodness, and in himself his own un-
worthiness and misery, used to say continually to the
Lord: "Who art Thou, and who am I?" Hence the
saints at the sight of the infinite perfections of God
humble themselves to the very, earth. The more they
know God, the better they see their own poverty and
defects. The proud, because they are bereft of light,
have but little knowledge of their own vileness.
Let us, then, continue to separate what is ours from
what belongs to God. Ours is nothing but misery and
sin. And what are we but a little fetid dust, infected
by sin ? How, then, can we be proud ? Why is earth ana
ashes proud?* Nobility, wealth, talent, ability, and the
other gifts of nature, are but a garment placed over a
poor mendicant. If you saw a beggar glorying in an
embroidered garment thrown over him, would you not
pronounce him to be a fool ? What hast thou that thou
hast not received ? And if thou hast received, why dost thou
glory as if thou hadst not received it?* Have we anything
that God has not bestowed upon us, or that he cannot
take away whenever he pleases ? The gifts of grace
that God confers upon us also belong to him, and we
contaminate them by so many defects, distractions, acts
1 " Si separaveris pretiosum a vili, quasi os meum eris." — -Jer. xv.
19.
2 " Noverim me, noverim te." — SoH'l. 1. 2, c. i.
3 " Quid superbit terra et cinis ?" — Ecclus. x. 9.
4 " Quid autem habes, quod non accepisti ? Si autem accepisti,
quid gloriaris, quasi non acceperis ?" — i Cor. iv. 7.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 307
of impatience, and inordinate motives, All our justices are
as the rag of a menstruous woman.1 Thus, after having
said our Masses, Offices, and prayers, though perhaps
we esteem ourselves more enlightened and rich in
merits, we deserve from the Lord the reproof which he
gave to the bishop in the Apocalypse: Because thou
sayest : I am rick, . . . and knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miser able, and poor, and blind, and naked? St.
Bernard writes: " What we need in fervor we should
supply by an humble acknowledgment of our misery." 3
If we know that we are poor and full of faults in the
sight of God, let us at least humble ourselves and con
fess our miseries. St. Francis Borgia, while a secular,
was advised by a holy man, if he wished to make great
progress in virtue, to reflect every day on his own mis
eries. Hence the saint spent every day the first two
hours of prayer in endeavoring to know and despise
himself. He thus became a saint, and has left us so
many beautiful examples of humility.
St. Augustine says: "God is the supremebeing: humble
thyself and he will descend to thee; but if thou raisest thy
self he will flee from thee." ' To the humble, God unites
himself and gives the treasures of his graces; but from
the proud he withdraws and flies away: Every proud man
is an abomination to the Lord? The proud man is an
abomination to the Lord. God, says St. James, resisteth
the proud and giveth grace to the humble.* The Lord hears
"Quasi pannus menstruatse, universae justitiae nostrae." — Isa. lxiv.6.
"Dicis: Quod dives sum; et nescis quia tu es miser, et miser-
abilis, et csecus, et nudus." — Apoc. iii. 17.
3 " Quidquid minus est in te fervoris, humilitas supplebit confessi-
onis." — De Int. Domo, c. 21.
4 " Altus est Deus. Erigis te, et fugit a te; humilias-te, et descendit
ad te." — Serrn. 177, E. B. app.
5 " Abominatio Domini est omnis arrogans." — Prov. xvi. 5.
b "Deus superbis resistit; humilibus autem dat gratiam."— -fames,
iv. 6.
308 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
the prayers of the humble. The prayer of him that humbLeth
himself shall pierce the clouds, . . . and he will not depart till
the Most High behold,1 But, on the other hand, he rejects
the petitions of the proud: He resisteth the proud. He
looks at the proud as from a distance. The Lord . . .
looketh on the low, and the high He knoweth afar off? When
we see a person at a distance, we know him not; thus
God feigns, as it were, not to know nor to hear the
proud when they pray to him. They call upon him, but
he answers: Amen, I say to you, I know you not? In a word,
the proud are hateful to God and to men. Pride, says
Ecclesiasticus, is hateful before God and men." Men are
sometimes compelled by necessity to pay external honor
to the proud; but in their heart they hate them, and
censure them before others. Where pride is, said Solo
mon, there also shall be reproach?
Praising the humility of St. Paul, St. Jerome writes:
" As the shadow follows him who flies from it, and flies
from him who pursues it, so glory follows them who fly
from it, and flies from them who seek it."e Our Lord
says: Whosoever shall exalt -himself shall be humbled, and
he that shall humble himself shall be exalted? A priest, for
example, does a good work; he is silent about it, but
as soon as it is known, all praise him. But if he goes
about proclaiming it to others, in order to receive ap-
1 " Oratio humiliantis se nubes penetrabit; . . . et non discedet,
donee Altissimus aspiciat." — Ecclus. xxxv. 21.
'2 " Excelsus Dominus, et humilia respicit; et alta a longe cognoscit."
— Ps. cxxxvii. 6.
3 "Amen dico vobis, nescio vos." — Matth. xxv. 12.
4 " Odibilis coram Deo est et hominibus superbia." — Ecchis. x. 7.
5 " Ubi fuerit superbia, ibi erit et contumelia." — Prov. xi. 2.
6 " Fugiendo gloriam, gloriam merebatur, quse virtutem quasi umbra
sequitur, et, appetitores sui deserens, appetit contemptores." — Ep. ad
Eustoch.
7 "Qui autem se exaltaverit, humiliabitur; et qui se humiHaverit.
exaltabitur." — Matth. xxiii. 12.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 309
plause, he shall earn reproach instead of praise. What
a shame, says St. Gregory, to see the teachers of humil
ity become by their example teachers of pride!.1 You
may say, I manifest my works to make known the truth,
and to procure praise for the Lord; but I answer in the
words of Seneca: " He that cannot keep silence about
the thing itself will not be silent about the author."8
Every one who hears a priest speaking of his good
works will suppose that he relates them in order to be
praised; thus he shall lose the esteem of men and merit
before God, who seeing him praised according to his
desire, will say to him what he said to the hypocrites in
the synagogue: Amen, I say unto you, they have received their
reward? The Lord has declared that three species of
sinners he hates with a special hatred, and that the first
is a poor man that is proud. Three sorts my soul hateth,
and I am greatly grieved at their life: a poor man that is
troudj a rich man that is a liar; and an old man that is a
fool?
II.
The Practice of Humility.
But let us come to the practice of humility. Let us
examine what we must do in order to be humble, not in
name, but in reality.
i. To HAVE A HORROR OF PRIDE.
In the first place, it is necessary to entertain a great
fear of the vice of pride; for, as has been already said,
God resists the proud, and deprives them of his graces.
A priest, particularly, in order to preserve chastity, stands
1 " Doctores humilium, duces superbiae \"—Ep. 1. 4, ep, 32.
a " Qui rem non tacuerit, non tacebit auctorem." — Ep. 105.
3 " Amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam." — Matth. vi. 2.
4 " Tres species odivit anima mea: . . . pauperem superbum, divi-
tem mendacem, senem fatuum." — Ecclus. xxv. 3.
3IO Material for Instructions. [PART n.
in need of a special aid from God. But how can a proud
priest practise that sublime virtue if in punishment of
his pride the Lord withholds his assistance ? Pride, says
the Wise Man, is a sign of approaching ruin. The spirit is
lifted up before a fall? Hence St. Augustine has gone so
far as to say that it is in a certain manner useful to the
proud to fall into some manifest sin, that thus they may
learn humility and a horror of themselves.2 This is what
happened to David, who, as he himself afterwards con
fessed with tears, fell into adultery because he was not
humble: Before I was humbled, I offended? St. Gregory
calls pride the seminary of impurity; because some,
while they are exalted by the spirit of pride, are precipi
tated into hell by the flesh.4 The spirit of pride easily
brings with it the spirit of impurity. The spirit of forni
cation, says the Prophet Osee, is in the midst of them, . . .
and the pride of Israel shall answer in his face. 5 Ask certai n
persons why they always fall back into the same im
purities; pride shall answer for them, that it is the cause
of their relapses: they are full of self-esteem, and there-
the Lord chastises them by permitting them to remain
immersed in their abominations, — a chastisement which,
as the Apostle says, has already fallen on the wise of the
world: God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto
uncleanness, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves?
1 " Contritionem praecedit superbia; et ante ruinam, exaltatur
spiritus." — Prov. xvi. 18.
2 " Audeo dicere, superbis esse utile cadere in aliquod apertum pec-
catum, unde sibi displiceant." — De Civ. D. 1. 14, c. 13.
3 " Priusquam humiliarer, ego deliqui." — Ps. cxviii. 67.
4 " Multis saepe superbia luxuriae seminarium fuit; quia, dum eos
spiritus quasi in altum erexit, caro in infimis mersit." — Mor. 1. 26,
c. 12.
5 "Spiritus fornicationum in medio eorum. . . . Et respondebit
arrogantia Israel in facie ejus." — Osee, v. 4.
6 " Propter quod tradidit illos Deus in desideria cordis eorum, in
immunditiam, ut contumeliis afficiant corpora sua in semelipsis." —
Rom. i. 24.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 3 1 1
The devil has no fear of the proud. Cesarius relates1
that a demoniac being once brought to a Cistercian
monastery, the prior took with him a young religious
who had the reputation of being a man of great virtue,
and said to the evil spirit: If this monk shall command
you to depart, will you dare to remain ? I have no fear
of him, replied the enemy, because he is proud. St.
Joseph Calasanctius used to say that the devil treats a
proud priest as a play-toy; that is, he throws him up and
pulls him down as he pleases.
Hence the saints have had a greater dread of pride
and vainglory than of any temporal calamity that could
befall them. Surius2 relates of a holy man who was
greatly esteemed and honored on account of the miracles
that he wrought, that finding himself often assailed by
vainglory, he besought the Lord that he might be pos
sessed by an evil spirit; his prayer was heard, and he
was possessed for five months. He was then delivered
from the infernal spirit, and from the spirit of vanity
that molested him. For this purpose the Lord also per
mits even saints to be tormented by temptations against
purity, and after they pray to be freed from them, he
leaves them as he left St. Paul, to combat with the temp
tations. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt
me, there was given me a sting of tJie flesh, an angel of Satan
to buffet me. For which thing I thrice besought the Lord, that
it might depart from me. And He said to me: My grace is
sufficient for thee ; for power is made perfect in infirmity?
Thus, according to St, Jerome, a sting of the flesh was
given to St. Paul to warn him to be humble: " To remind
1 Dial. 1. 4, c. 5.
2 8 Jan. V. S. Sever.
8 " Et ne magnitude revelationum extollat me, datus est mihi sti
mulus carnis mese, angelus Satanse, qui me colaphizet. Propter quod
ter Dominum rogavi, ut discederet a me; et dixit mihi: Sufficit tibi
gratia mea; nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. " — 2 Cor. xii. 7.
3 1 2 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
him of human misery, and to make him humble in the
sublimity of his revelations." ' Hence St. Gregory con
cludes: " To preserve chastity in all its splendor we must
place it under the care of humility."2 Let us here make
another reflection. To humble the pride of the people
of Egypt, the Lord sent not bears and lions, but frogs to
molest them. What do I mean ? God permits us to be
annoyed by certain little expressions, by certain little
aversions, by certain trifles, that we may know our
miseries and may humble ourselves.
2. NOT TO GLORY IN THE GOOD THAT WE DO.
Secondly, it is necessary to guard against glorying in
any good that we may do, particularly if we are raised
to the height of the priesthood. The offices intrusted
to us are very great. To us is given the great office of
offering to God the sacrifice of his own Son. To us is
confided the care of reconciling sinners with God, by
preaching, and by the administration of the sacraments:
He hath given to its the ministry of reconciliation? We are
ambassadors and vicars of Jesus Christ, and are made
the tongues of the Holy Ghost: For Christ therefore we
are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us? St. Jerome
says that the highest mountains are most violently as
sailed by the tempest: the more exalted, then, is our
dignity, the more we are exposed to the molestation of
vainglory. We are esteemed by all, we are respected as
men of learning, and as saints. He who stands on a
great height is in danger of dizziness.
" Ad revelationum humiliandam superbiam, monitor quidam huma-
nse imbecillitatis apponitur." — Ep. ad Paulam.
2 "Per humilitatis custodiam servanda est munditia castitatis." —
Mor. \. 26, c. ii.
" Dedit nobis ministerium reconciliationis." — 2 Cor. v. 18.
4 "Pro Christo ergo legatione fungimur, tamquam Deo exhortante
per nos." — //;. 20.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 3 1 3
How many priests have fallen into precipices because
they were not humble! Montanus wrrought miracles,
and he afterwards through ambition became a heresi-
arch. Tatian wrote at great length and with great suc
cess against the pagans, and through pride he fell into
heresy. Brother Justin, a Franciscan, attained the high
est degree of contemplation, and he afterwards died an
apostate from religion, and was lost. In the life of Pale-
mon we read that a certain monk walked on fire and
boasted of it, saying to his companions, Which of you
can walk on red-hot coals without being burnt? St.
Palemon corrected him, but the unhappy man, being full
of himself, fell into sin, and died in that miserable state.
A proud spiritual man is the worst of robbers; because
he usurps not earthly goods, but the glory of God.
Hence, St. Francis was accustomed to say: Lord! if Thou
givest any good, watch over it; otherwise I will steal it
from Thee. Thus we priests must pray, and say with
St, Paul: By the grace of God I am what la///.1 For of
ourselves we are incapable not only of doing good
works, but of even having a good thought: Not that we
are sufficient to thinking anything of ourselves?'
Hence the Lord says to us: When you shall have done
all these things that are commanded you, say: IVe are unprofit
able servants: we have done that which we ought to do? Of
what use can all our works be to God ? What need can
he have of our possessions ? / have said to the Lord, said
David, Thou art my God, for Thou hast no need of my goods?
And Job said: If thou do justly, . . . what sJiall Jic receive
" Gratia autem Dei sum id quod sum." — i Cor, xv. 10.
2 " Non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid a nobis." — 2. Cor.
iii. 5-
3 "Cum feceritis omnia quae praecepta sunt vobis, dicite: Servi inu-
tiles sumus; quod debuimus facere, fecimus." — Luke, xvii. 10.
4 " Deus meus es tu, quoniam bonorum meorum non eges." — Ps.
xv. 2.
314 Material for Instructions. LPART n.
of Thy hand.1 What can God receive from you to increase
his riches? Moreover, we are useless servants, because
however much we do for a God who merits infinite love,
and has suffered so much for the love of us, it is all
nothing. Hence the Apostle writes: If I preach the
Gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity licth upon me? To
all that we do for God we are bound by our obligations
and by gratitude; particularly as all that we do is his
work more than it is ours. Who would not laugh at the
clouds, if they boasted of the rain that they send down ?
This is the language of St. Bernard.3 He then adds,
that we ought to praise, not so much the saints for the
works that they perform, as God who operates through
them.4 St. Augustine says the same: "Every good
thing, large or small, is a gift of God : from ourselves
comes what is bad."J And in another .place, speaking
to God, he writes: "Whoever enumerates to Thee Thy
merits, does he enumerate to Thee anything but Thy
merits?"6
Hence, when we do any good, we must say to the Lord:
We have given TJiee what we received of TJiy hand."1 When
St. Teresa performed any good work, or saw a good act
done by others, she began to praise God for it, saying
that it was entirely his work. Hence, St. Augustine
remarks, that unless humility go before, pride will steal
1 " Si juste egeris, quid donabis ei, aut quid de manu tua accipiet?"
— Job, xxxv. 7.
2 "Si evangelizavero. non est mihi gloria; necessitas enim mihi in-
cumbit." — i Cor. ix. 16.
3 "Si glorientur nubes, quod imbres genuerint, quis non irrideat?"
— In Cant. s. 13.
4 " Laudo Deum in sanctis suis, qui, in ipsis manens, ipse facit
opera." — Ibid.
5 "Si quid boni est, parvum vel magnum, donum tuum est; et
nostrum non est nisi malum." — Solil. an. ad D. c. 15.
6 " Quisquis tibi enumerat merita sua, quid tibi enumerat, nisi
munera tua?" — Conf. 1. 9, c. 13.
1 " Quae de manu tua accepimus, dedimus tibi." — i Par. xxix. 14.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 3 1 5
from us all the good we do.1 And in another place he
says: "Pride lays snares for good works that they may
be lost."2 St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say, that the
more God favors a soul by special graces, the more she
ought to humble herself that she may not lose all. All
is lost by every little consent to self-esteem. He, says
St. Gregory, who performs many virtuous actions, but
has not humility, is like a man who scatters dust before
the wind.3 Trithemius has written: " Thou hast despised
others: thou art become worse than others."4
The saints have not only not boasted of any perfec
tion, but have sought to make known to others what
redounded to their own contempt. Father Villanova,
of the Society of Jesus, felt no repugnance to tell all
that his brother was a poor workman. Father Sacchini,
also a Jesuit, meeting in a public place his father, who
was a poor muleteer, ran to embrace him, and said:
"Oh, behold my father!" Let us read the lives of the
saints, and pride ^shall depart from us: there we shall
find the great things that they have done, at the sight
of which we shall feel ashamed of the little we have
done.
3. WE MUST DISTRUST OURSELVES.
Thirdly, it is necessary to live in contiriual distrust of
ourselves. Unless God assists us, we shall not be able
to preserve ourselves in his grace: Unless the Lord keep the
city, he watcheth in vain that keepetJi it? If God work not in
us, we shall be unable to do any good: Unless the Lord
1 " Nisi humilitas praecesserit, totum extorquet de manu superbia."
— Ep. 1 1 8, E. B.
2 "Superbia bonis operibus insidiatur, ut pereant." — Ib. 211.
3 " Qui sine humilitate virtutes congregat, quasi in ventum pulverem
portat." — In Ps. pcenit. 3.
4 " Caeteros contempsisti; caeteris pejor factus es."
5 " Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat, qui custodit
earn." — Ps. cxxvi. I.
3 1 6 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
build the house, they labor in vain that build it.1 Some saints,
with very moderate learning, have converted entire na
tions. By certain discourses that he preached in Rome,
though the language was simple, and even incorrect
(for he had but an imperfect knowledge of the Italian
tongue), St. Ignatius of Loyola, because his words came
from a heart that was humble and enamoured of God,
produced such an effect on the hearers that they instant
ly went to confession, but could scarcely speak on ac
count of the many tears that they shed.2 But, on the
other hand, many learned theologians, with all their
science and eloquence, preach without converting a
single soul. In them are verified the words of the
Prophet Osee: Give them a womb without children, and dry
breasts? Such preachers, because they are puffed up with
their learning, resemble unfruitful mothers, they have
the name, but are without children. And should they
be intrusted with the child of another, with an infant
that stands in need of milk, the little one shall die of
hunger, for the paps of the proud are filled with wind
and smoke, but give no milk: Knowledge puff eth up* To
this evil the proud are subject. It is, as Cardinal Bel-
larmine wrote to one of his nephews, difficult for a man
of learning to be humble, not to despise others, not to
censure their acts, not to be full of his own opinions; he
will hardly submit willingly to the judgment and cor
rection of others.
It is true that we ought not to preach at random, or
without consideration and study; but after we have
studied the discourse, and after we have delivered it
with zeal and success, we ought to say: We are unprofit-
1 " Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt, qui
sedificant earn." — Ps. cxxvi. i.
8 Ribadeneira, Vit. 1. 3, c. 2.
3 " Da eis vulvam sine liberis et ubera arentia." — Osee, ix. 14.
4 "Scientia inflat." — I Cor. viii. i.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 3 1 7
able servants,1 and should expect the fruit, not from our
own labors, but from the hands of God. And what
proportion can there ever be between our words and the
conversion of sinners ? Shall the axe boast itself against
him that cutteth with it J* Can the axe say to him who
fells the tree: This tree I, and not you, have cut down?
We are like so many pieces of iron, incapable even of
motion, unless God moves us: Without Me, you cati do
nothing? On this passage St. Augustine writes: "The
Lord does not say, Without me you can do but little,
but he says, Without me you can do nothing."4 And
the Apostle has said: Not that we are sufficient to think any
thing of ourselves? If we are incapable of having even a
good thought of ourselves, how much less shall we be
able to perform a good action ! Neither he that planteth is
anything, nor he that water eth: but God that giveth the increase?
It is neither the preacher, nor the confessor who exhorts
them, that makes souls advance in virtue: no, it is God
that does all. " Let us," says St. John Chrysostom, " call
ourselves useless servants, that we may be made useful." 7
Whenever, then, we are praised, let us instantly give the
honor to God, saying: To the only God be honor and glory?
And when any office or work is given us by obedience,
let us not be diffident at the sight of our inability, but
let us have confidence in God, who speaks to us by the
1 " Servi inutiles sumus."
8 " Numquid gloriabitur securis contra eum qui secat in ea?"— Isa.
x. 15.
3 "Sine me nihil potestis facere."— John, xv. 5.
4 " Non ait, quia sine me parum potestis facere, sed nihil." — In Jo.
tr. 81.
5 "Non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid a nobis." — 2 Cor.
iii. 5.
6 " Neque qui plantat, est aliquid, neque qui rigat, sed qui incre-
mentum dat, Deus." — I Cor. iii. 7.
7 " Nos dicamus inutiles, ut utiles efficiamur." — Ad pop. Ant. horn. 38.
8 " Soli Deo honor et gloria." — i 7V;//. i. 17.
3 1 8 Material for Instructions. [PART IT.
mouth of our Superior, and says to us: I will be in thy
mouth.1
Gladly, says the Apostle, will I glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may dwell in me? We, too, should
say the same: we should glory in the knowledge of our
insufficiency, that thus we may acquire the power of
Jesus Christ, that is, holy humility. Oh, what great
things do the humble effect ! " Nothing," says St. Leo,
"is difficult to the humble."3 No, for the humble,
trusting in God, act with the strength of the divine
arm, ani therefore they effect whatsoever they wish.
They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength* St.
Joseph Calasanctius used to say, that the man who
wishes that God should make him do great things
must labor to be the most humble of all. The humble
man says: I can do all things in Him who strengthened me?
When he finds an undertaking difficult, he does not
lespair of success, but says: Through God we shall do
mightily? Jesus Christ did not wish to select men of
power and learning for the conversion of the world, but
poor ignorant fishermen, because they were humble, and
distrustful of their own strength. The weak things of the
world hath God chosen that He may confound the strong. . . .
That all flesh should not. glory in His sight?
Even when we see that we are subject to defects we
must not be diffident. Though we should relapse into
the same faults after many purposes, and many promises
1 " Ego ero in ore tuo." — Exod. iv. 15.
2 " Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitadbus meis, ut inhabitet in
me virtus Christi." — i Cor. xii. 9.
3 " Nihil arduum est humilibus." — De Epiph. s. 5.
4 " Qui autem sperant in Domino, mutabunt fortitudinem." — Isa,.
xl. 31.
5 " Omnia possum in eo, qui me confortat." — Phil. iv. 13.
6 " In Deo faciemus virtutem." — Ps. lix. 14.
7 " Infirma mundi elegit Deus, ut confundat fortia, . . . ut non
glorietur omnis caro in conspectu ejus." — i Cor. i. 27.
INSTR. vi.] 'Humility.
319
made to God, we should not abandon ourselves to diffi
dence, as the devil tempts us to do, in order to precipi
tate us into greater sins; but we must then, more than
ever, trust in God's goodness, making use of our failings
to increase our confidence in the divine mercy. Thus
we are to understand the words of the Apostle: All things
work together unto good.1 The Gloss adds: Even sins.9
Hence our Lord sometimes permits us to fall or to re
lapse into a defect, that thus we may learn to distrust
ourselves, and to confide only in the divine aid. Hence
David said: It is good for me that Thou hast humbled vie?
Lord, Thou hast permitted these my faults for my good,
that I may learn to be humble.
4. To ACCEPT HUMILIATIONS.
Fourthly, to acquire humility, it is, above all, neces
sary to accept humiliations that come to us from God
and from men, and in the time of humiliation to say
with Job: I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I
have not received what I deserved? Some, as St. Gregory5
remarks, say with the tongue that they are sinners, that
they are wicked, and deserving of every species of con
tempt; but they do not believe what they say, for
when despised or reproved by others they are disturbed.
"Many," says St. Ambrose in a letter to Constance,
"have the appearance of humility, but not the virtue of
humility.'" Cassian7 relates that a certain monk, who
used to protest that he was a great sinner, and unworthy
of living on earth, was corrected by .the abbot Serapion
" Omnia cooperantur in bonum." — Rom. viii. 28.
2 " Etiam peccata."
" Bonum mihi- quia humiliasti me." — Ps. cxviii. 71.
"Peccavi et vere deliqui, et, ut eram dignus, non recepi."— -Job,
xxxiii. 27.
5 Mor. 1. 22, c. 14.
"Multihabenthumilitatisspeciem, virtutem nonhabent." — Ep. 44.
1 Collat. 1 8, c. ii.
320 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
for a considerable fault, which consisted in going about
idly to the cells of the other monks instead of remaining
in his own, according to his rule. The monk became
instantly agitated, so as to manifest externally the dis
turbed state of his interior. The abbot said to him:
" My son, hitherto you have declared that you deserved
nothing but opprobrium, and why are you now so in
dignant at a word of charity that I have said to you ?"
The same happens to many who would wish to be
esteemed humble, but are unwilling to suffer any
humiliation. There is, says Ecclesiasticus, one who hum-
bleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit.1
St. Bernard has said that to seek praise from humility
is not humility, but the destruction of humility.2 To
seek praise from humility only foments pride by the
desire of being reputed humble. He who is truly
humble has a low opinion of himself, and wishes others
to think of him as he thinks himself. " He is humble,"
says St. Bernard, " who converts humiliations into
humility." : The truly humble man, when treated with
contempt, humbles himself still more, and acknowledges
that he justly deserves the humiliation.
Finally, let us bear in mind that unless we are humble
we shall not only do no good, but we shall not be saved.
Unless you . . . become as little children, you shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven." In order, then, to enter into
the kingdom of heaven, we must become children, not
in age, but in humiljty. St. Gregory says that as pride
is a sign of reprobation, so humility is a mark of pre-
1 " Est qui nequiter humiliat se, et interiora ejus plena sunt dolo."
— Ecclus. xix. 23.
2 "Appetere de humilitate laudem, humilitatis est, non virtus, sed
subversio." — In Cant. s. 16.
3 " Est humilis, qui humiliationem convertit in humilitatem." — Ib.
s. 34.
4 "Nisi conversi fueritis, et efficiamini sicut parvuli non intrabitis
in regnum coelorum." — Matth. xviii. 3.
INSTR. vi.] Humility. 321
destination.1 And St. James has wrftten, that God re-
sisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble? From the
proud God withholds his graces, but to the humble he
opens his hand and dispenses his favors. Be humble,
says Ecclesiasticus, and expect from the hands of God
as many graces as you desire. Humble thyself to God,
and wait for His hands? And our Saviour has said:
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling
into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it
bringeth forth much fridt? A priest who dies to self-
love shall produce great fruit; but -he who dies not to
himself, and resents insults or trusts in his own talents,
remaineth alone : he remains alone, and will produce no
fruit for himself or others.
1 " Reproborum signum superbia est; at contra, humilitas electo-
rum." — Mor. 1. 34, c. 22.
2 " Deus superbis resistit; humilibus autem dat gratiam."— -James,
iv. 6.
3 " Humiliate Deo, exspecta manus ejus." — Ecclus. xiii. 9.
4 "Amen, amen, dico vobis: nisi granum frumenti cadens in
terram, mortuum fuerit, ipsurh solum manet; si autem mortuum
fuerit, multum fructum affert." — John, xii. 24.
21
322 Material for Instructions. [FARTII.
INSTRUCTION VII.
MEEKNESS.
Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart?
Meekness is the virtue of the lamb: lamb is the name
by which Jesus Christ wished to be called: Behold the
Lamb of God? Send forth, O Lord, the Lamb, the ruler of the
earth? And like a lamb he conducted himself in his
Passion. He shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer,
and he shall not open his mouth? As a meek lamb that is car
ried to be a victim? Meekness was the beloved virtue of
the Saviour. He showed the extent of his meekness in
doing good to the ungrateful, in submitting sweetly to
his enemies, and in bearing without complaint all that
insulted and maltreated him. Who, when He was reviled,
did not revile : when He suffered, He threatened not, but de
livered Himself to him who judged Him unjustly? After
being scourged, crowned with thorns, covered with
spittle, nailed to a cross, and saturated with opprobrium,
he forgot all, and prayed for those that had thus mal
treated him. Hence he has exhorted us, above all
things, to learn from his example humility and meek
ness. Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart?
1 " Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde." — Matth. xi. 29.
- " Ecce Agnus Dei." — John, i. 29.
3 " Emitte Agnum, Domine, dominatorem terrae." — Isa. xvi. i.
4 "Quasi agnus coram tondente se, obmutescet, et non aperiet os
suum." — Ib, liii. 7.
5 "Quasi agnus mansuetus qui portatu-r ad victimam." — Jcr. xi. 19.
6"Qui, cum malediceretur, non maledicebat; cum pateretur, non
comminabatur." — i Pet. ii. 23.
7 " Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde."
INSTR. vii.] Meekness. 323
St. John Chrysostom says that meekness is, of all vir
tues, that which renders us most like to God.1 Yes, for
it belongs only to God to render good for evil. Hence
the Redeemer has said: Do good to them that hate you, . . .
that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven?
Hence, according to St. John Chrysostom, Jesus Christ
has called the meek imitators of God.3
To the meek, paradise is promised. Blessed are the
meek, for they shall possess the land.'' St. Francis de Sales
says that meekness is the flower of charity.5 And Eccle-
siasticus has said: That which is agreeable to Him is faith
and meekness!' A meek and faithful heart is the delight
of God. He knows not how to cast off the meek. The
Lord lifted up the meek} The prayers of the humble and
meek are very pleasing in the sight of God. The prayer
of the humble and the meek hath always pleased Thee?
The virtue of meekness consists in two things: i. In
restraining the motions of passion against those that
provoke us to anger; and, 2d, In bearing insults.
I.
We must Repress Anger.
With regard to the first, St. Ambrose says that the
passion of anger ought to be either avoided or restrained.9
1 " Mansuetudo prse cseteris virtutibus nos Deo conformes facit." —
In Rom. horn. 19.
2 " Benefacite his qui oderunt vos, . . . ut sitis filii Patris vestri
qui in coelis est, qui solem suum oriri facit super bonos et malos." —
Matth. v. 44.
3 "Eos solos qui mansuetudine conspicui sunt, Dei imitatores
Christus nominat." — Serm. de Mansuetud.
4 " Beati mites, quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram." — Matth. v. 4.
5 " Introd. p. 3, ch. 8.
"Quod beneplacitum est illi, fides et mansuetudo." — Ecclus. i. 34.
7 " Suscipiens mansuetos Dominus." — Ps. cxlvi. 6.
8 " Humilium et mansuetorum semper tibi placuit deprecatio." —
Judith, ix. 16.
9 "Caveatur iracundia, aut cohibeatur." — Offic. 1. i, c. 21.
324 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
He who feels himself prone to the vice of anger should
endeavor to avoid the occasions of it; and should he
through necessity be exposed to them, he ought to pre
pare himself beforehand by good resolutions either to
be silent, to answer with sweetness, or to pray to God
for strength to resist the temptation, and not to yield to
passion. Some excuse themselves by saying such a
person is very impertinent, his conduct is insufferable.
But, according to St. John Chrysostom, the virtue of
meekness consists not in being agreeable to the meek,
but in treating with sweetness those that know not
what meekness is.1 When a neighbor is enraged there
is no better means of appeasing his anger than by
answering with sweetness. A mild answer breaketh
wrath? As water extinguishes fire, so, says St. John
Chrysostom, a mild answer softens the anger of a brother,
however great may be his excitement.3 This is con
formable to the words of Ecclesiasticus: A sweet word
multiplieth friends and appeaseth enemies? St. John Chrys
ostom adds: "We cannot extinguish fire by fire." ''
Even towards sinners the most abandoned, obstinate,
and insolent we priests must exercise all possible meek
ness in order to draw them to God. Hugh of St. Victor
has written: " You must know the faults, not to punish
them, but the diseases to heal them.'" When, on the
other hand, we feel ourselves assailed by any motion of
1 "Cum his qui sunt a mansuetudine alienissimi, tune virtus osten-
ditur." — In Ps. 119.
'2 " Responsio mollis frangit iram." — Prov, xv. I.
3 " Sicut rogum accensum aqua exstinguit, ita animam ira sestu-
antem verbum cum mansuetudine prolatum mitigat." — /;/ Gen. horn.
58.
4 "Verbum dulce multiplicat amicos, et mitigat inimicos." — Ecclus.
vi. 5.
5 " Igne non potest ignis exstingui, nee furor furore."
6 " Vos non, quasi judices criminum, ad percutiendum positi estis
sed, quasi judices morborum, ad sanandum." — Misc. 1. I, ///. 49.
INSTR. vii.] Meekness. 325
anger, the remedy is to be silent, and to ask strength
from God not to make a reply. " The best remedy,"
says Seneca, " is in delay,'' 1 for should we speak while
we are inflamed with passion, what we say will appear
reasonable, but it will be unjust and sinful. For passion
is a certain veil that covers the eyes of the soul, and
does not permit us to see the unreasonableness of our
reply. " The eye disturbed by anger cannot see," says
St. Bernard.2 Sometimes it appears to us just, and
even necessary, to repress the boldness of a person who
treats us with insolence: for example, of an inferior
who acts disrespectfully towards us. It would indeed
be right in such circumstances to show moderate dis
pleasure; to be, as the angelic Doctor says, angry ac
cording to right reason.3 This is conformable to the
words of David: Be ye angry, and sin not? This would
be right if in such anger there were no fault on our
part; but in this consists the difficulty. To leave one's
self in the hand of anger is a very dangerous thing:
you might as well mount a furious horse that refuses to
obey the bit, and carries you wheresoever he pleases.
Hence St. Francis de Sales, in the Devout Life,5 says
that however just the reason of our anger, it is always
expedient to restrain it; and that it is better for you to
have it said that you are never angry than that you are
wisely angry. When, says St. Augustine,6 anger has
entered the soul, it is difficult to expel it. Hence he
exhorts us in the beginning to close the gate that anger
may not enter. When a person who is corrected sees
his Superior in a passion, he will derive but little fruit
1 " Maximum remedium est irae, mora." — De Ira, 1. 2, c. 28.
2 " Turbatus prse ira oculus rectum non videt."— De Consid, 1. 2,
c. ii.
3 " Secundum rectam rationem irasci." — 2. 2, q. 158, a. I.
4 " Irascimini, et nolite peccare." — Ps. iv. 5.
6 Inirod. p. 3, ch. 8. 6 E£. 38, E. &.
326 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
from the admonition: he will regard it as the effect
of anger rather than of charity. A single admonition
given with sweetness and a tranquil countenance will
do more good than a thousand reproaches, however
just, accompanied with motions or expressions of anger.
But to be meek does not imply that in order to show
kindness or to avoid the displeasure of another we
should omit to correct him with just rigor, when such
correction is necessary. To omit correction in that
case would not be virtue, but a culpable and abomi-
able negligence. Wo, says the Prophet, to him who
furnishes a pillow to sinners that they may peacefully
sleep in their deadly slumber. Wo to them that sew
cushions under every elbow; and make pillows for the heads
of persons of every age, to catch souls: . . . you have strength
ened the hands of the wicked that he should not return from
his evil way and live.1 This vicious condescension, says
St. Augustine, " is not charity, but carelessness." 2 It is
neither charity nor meekness, but it is negligence, and
even cruelty, to the poor souls that thus remain in the
state of damnation, without being admonished of their
miserable condition. St. Cyprian says that when the
sick man feels the knife he assails the surgeon; but
when he is cured he will thank him." Meekness, then,
implies that when it is necessary to correct a brother
we should do it with firmness, but at the same time
with sweetness. And when it is our duty to correct
others, the Apostle exhorts us first to consider our own
defects, that we may have compassion for our neighbor
1 " Vse, quae consuunt pulvillos sub omni cubito manus, et faciunt
cervicalia sub capite universse setatis, ad capiendas animas! . . . Et
confortastis manus impii, ut non reverteretur a via sua mala, et
viveret." — Ezech. xiii. 18.
8 " Non est ista charitas, sed languor." — In i Jo. tr. 7.
3 "Licet conqueratur aeger impatiens per dolorem, gratias aget
postmodum, cumsenserit sanitatem." — DC La£sis.
INSTR. vii.] Meekness. 327
as we have for ourselves. Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, you who are spiritual instruct such a one in the
spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be
tempted.1 Peter de Blois says that it is great baseness in
a Superior to correct an inferior with anger and asper
ity.2 Anger so disfigures the face that it gives to the
most beautiful countenance a horrible appearance, says
Seneca.3 In this matter, then, we should always attend
to the admonition of St. Gregory: " Be kind, yet with
out effeminacy; use rigor, but without exasperating;
be merciful, without sparing more than is expedient."4
Physicians, says St. Basil,5 should not get angry with
a patient, but should only assail his disease in order to
restore his health. Cassian relates 6 that a young re
ligious who was violently tempted against chastity
sought advice from an aged monk; but instead of assist
ing and encouraging him, the old man loaded him with
reproaches. But what was the result ? The Lord per
mitted the aged monk to be so violently attacked by the
spirit of impurity that he ran like a madman through
the monastery. Having heard of his indiscretion towards
the young man, the abbot went to him, and said:
" Brother, know that God has permitted you to be
molested by this temptation, that you may learn to take
compassion on others."
When, therefore, we witness the weaknesses and faults
of others, we ought not to reprove them with a vain
conceit of ourselves: but in applying, to the best of our
1 " Fratres. et si prseoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, vos
qui spirituales estis, hujusmodi instruite in spiritu lenitatis, con-
siderans teipsum, ne et tu tenteris." — Gal. vi. I.
2 " Turpe quidem est in prselato, cum ira et austeritate corripere."
—Ep. 100.
3 " Facies turbatior, pulcherrima ora foedavit." — De Ira, \. 2, c. 35.
4 "Sit amor, sed non emolliens; sit rigor, sed. non exasperans; sit
pietas, sed non plus, quam expediat, parcens." — Mor. \. 20, c. 6.
5 Reg. fus. disp. int. 51, 6 Collat. 2, c. 13.
328 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
ability, a remedy to their faults, we should be humble
in our own estimation: otherwise God will permit us to
fall into the very defects that we condemn in others.
The same Cassian ' relates that a certain abbot, called
Machete, confessed that he had miserably fallen into
three faults of which he had before judged his brethren.
Hence St. Augustine says that compassion for our
neighbor, and not indignation, should precede correc
tion.2 And St. Gregory tells us that the consideration
of our own defects will make us pity and excuse the
faults of others.3
Thus to yield to anger is never profitable to ourselves
or to others. If it produce no other evil, it at least robs
us of peace. Agrippinus the philosopher having once
lost some of his goods, said: " If I have lost my prop
erty I will not lose my peace." The disturbance of mind
to which we give way on account of the maltreatment
we receive from others is more hurtful to us than the
injuries offered to us. Seneca has said: " My anger
will hurt me more than their insults."4 He who in
dulges anger when an affront is offered to him is a
cause of pain to himself. " Thou hast decreed, O Lord !"
says St. Augustine, " that the soul that is inordinate
should be its own torment. "f
Hence that great master of meekness, St. Francis de
Sales,0 teaches that it is necessary to practise meekness
not only to others, but also to ourselves. After yield
ing to a fault, some are indignant with themselves, and
1 De Cccnob. inst. 1. 5, c. 30.
2 " Reprehensionem, non odium, sed misericordia preecedat." — De
Serm. D. in monte, 1. 2, c. 19.
3 " Considerata infirmitas propria, mala nobis excusat aliena."-
Mor. 1. 5, c. 33.
4 " Plus mihi nocitura est ira, quam injuria. " — DC Ira, \. 3, c. 25.
5 " Jussisti ut poena sua sibi sit omnis inordinatus animus." — Conf.
1. i, c. 12.
6 Introd. p. 3, ch. q.
INSTR. vii.] Meekness. 329
give way to disquietude, and in this state of agitation
they commit a thousand faults. In troubled water,
says St. Aloysius Gonzaga, the devil always finds fish
to catch. It is necessary, then, when we perceive that
we have fallen into a defect, not to be disturbed (to give
way to disquietude after a fault is the effect of our own
pride, and of the high opinion we had of our own vir
tue), but to humble ourselves peacefully, to detest the
sin, and instantly to have recourse to God, hoping to
receive from him help to avoid a relapse.
In a word, they who are truly humble and meek live
always in peace, and in every occurrence preserve tran
quillity of soul. Learn of Me, says Jesus Christ, because
I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest to
your souls.1 And before him, David said: The meek shall
inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace?
"Nothing is able to disturb their serenity,"3 says St.
Leo. No insult, no loss, no misfortune, disturbs the
peace of a meek heart.
Should we feel angry on any occasion, we must en
deavor (according to the advice of the holy bishop of
Geneva) to repress passion without waiting to examine
whether it is right or not to subdue it. And after a
dispute, which may perhaps have disturbed our peace,
let us observe the advice of the Apostle: Let not the sun
go down upon your anger. Give not place to the devil? Let
us first put our soul in peace, and then be reconciled
to the person by whom we have been offended, lest
through that spark the devil should kindle in our souls
a deadly flame that may cause our ruin.
" Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde, et invenietis re
quiem animabus vestris." — Matth. xi. 2g.
2 " Mansueti autem hereditabunt terram, et delectabuntur in mul-
titudine pads." — Ps. xxxvi. u.
3 " Nihil asperum mitibus." — De Epiph. s. 5.
4 "Sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram; nolite locum dare
diabolo." — Efihes^ iv. 26.
330 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
n.
We must Bear Contempt.
Secondly, the virtue of meekness consists still more
in bearing insults. Many, says St. Francis of Assisi,
place their sanctification in saying many prayers, or in the
practice of many corporal mortifications, but afterwards
they cannot bear an offensive word. " Not understand
ing," says the saint, " of what profit it is to bear in
sults." A soul gains more by peacefully bearing an
affront than by fasting for ten days on bread and
water.
St. Bernard says that there are three degrees of ad
vancement, to which a soul that wishes to be a saint,
ought to aspire. The first is not to wish for authority
over others; the second, to wish to be subject to all;
the third is to bear insults with peace.2 You will, for
example, see that what is given to others is denied to
you: what others say is heard with attention; what you
say is received with derision: others are praised, are
elected to offices of honor, to transact business of im
portance; but you are despised: what you do is censured
and ridiculed. You will be truly humble, says St. Doro-
theus,3 if you accept in peace all these humiliations, and
recommend to God, as your best benefactors, all that
treat you in this manner; for they thus cure your pride,
which is a most malignant and deadly malady.
In thy humiliation keep patience,1' Behold, then, what
we must do; we must give way neither to anger nor to
complaints, but accept insults as due to our sins. He
1 " Non intelligences, quanto majus sit lucrum in tolerantia in-
juriarum."
2 "Primus profectus, nolle dominari; secundus, velle subjici; ter-
tius, injurias sequanimiter pati." — De Divers, s. 60.
3 Doctr. 20.
4 " In humilitate tua patientiara habe." — Ecclus. ii. 4.
INSTR. vn.i Meekness.
331
who has offended God merits very different insults: he
deserves to be cast under the feet of the devils. St.
Francis Borgia was once obliged on a journey to sleep
in the same bed with his companion, Father Busta-
mente, who labored under asthma, and spent the whole
night coughing and casting out phlegm. He thought
that he was spitting towards the wall; but frequently
the phlegm fell on the face of St. Francis. In the
morning the Father was greatly grieved at what he had
done; but the saint placidly answered: " Father, be not
troubled; for certainly in this room there is no place so
fit for the reception of spittle as my face." The proud,
because they esteem themselves worthy of all honor,
convert the humiliations that they receive into an occa
sion of pride; but the humble, because they think them
selves deserving of all ignominies, convert the insults
offered to them into a source of humility. " He is hum
ble," says St. Bernard, " who changes humiliations into
humility."' Rodriguez says that when reproved the
proud imitate the hedgehog, which when touched be
comes all thorns; that is, they get into a fury, and in
stantly break out into complaints, reproaches, and de
traction. But, on the other hand, the humble when
blamed for their conduct humble themselves still more,
confess that they are full of defects, thank the person
who corrects them, arid preserve tranquillity of soul.
He who is disturbed by correction shows that in him
pride still reigns. Hence they who are disquieted by
correction or admonitions must humble themselves
more before God, and entreat him to deliver them from
the hands of pride, which still lives in their hearts.
My spikenard sent forth the odor thereof?' The spike
nard is a small odoriferous plant that sends forth its
1 " Est humilis, qui humiliationem convertit in humilitatcm." — In
Cant, s. 34.
2 " Nardus mea dedit odorera suum." — CanL i. II.
332 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
odors when bruised and twisted. Oh, what odors of
sweetness does an humble soul give to God when she
peacefully suffers insults, and delights in seeing herself
despised and maltreated! Being asked what must be
done in order to acquire true humility, Zachary, a monk,
took his cowl, and trampling on it said: "He who de
lights in seeing himself treated in this manner is truly
humble." Father Alvarez used to say that the time of
humiliation is the time of getting rid of our miseries,
and of acquiring great treasures of merit. God is as
liberal of his gifts to the humble as he is sparing to the
proud: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the hum
ble* St. Augustine says that a guilty conscience is not
healed by praise, nor a good conscience wounded by in
sults.2 It was this that St. Francis of Assisi meant when
he said: " We are what we are before God." It is, then,
of little importance to us whether we are praised or
censured by men : it is enough for us to merit praise from
God. And God will certainly bestow great praise on
all that cheerfully bear insults from others for his sake.
The meek are dear to God and to men. St. John
Chrysostom says that there is nothing that gives greater
edification to others, and draws souls more powerfully
to God, than the meekness of the man who, when treated
with derision, contempt, and insult, seeks not revenge,
but bears all with a peaceful and placid countenance.3
St. Ambrose writes that Moses was more beloved by the
Hebrews on account of the meekness with which he re
ceived insults, than on account of the miracles which he
wrought.4 The meek are useful to themselves and to
1 " Deus superbis resistit; humilibus autem dat gratiam." — James,
iv. 6.
2 " Nee malam conscientiam sanat laudantis praeconium, nee bonam
vulnerat conviciantis opprobrium." — Contra Petil. 1. 3, c. 7.
3 " Nihil ita conciliat domino familiares, ut quod ilium vident man-
suetudine jucundum." — S. de Mansuet.
4 " Ut plus eum pro mansuetudine diligerent, quam pro factis ad-
mirarentur." — Offic. 1. 2, c. 7.
INSTR. vii.] Meekness. 333
others, says St. John Chrysostom.1 Father Maffei re
lates that while a Jesuit was preaching in Japan, an in
solent bystander spit in his face; the Father wiped away
the spittle, and continued the sermon as if nothing had
happened. At the sight of such meekness one of the
audience was converted, and said that a religion that
teaches such humility must be true and divine. Thus>
also, by the meekness and tranquillity with which he
bore all the insults heaped upon him by the heretical
ministers St. Francis de Sales converted an immense
number of heretics. Meekness is the touchstone of
sanctity. St. John Chrysostom says* that the surest
means of knowing whether a soul has virtue is to observe
if she practises meekness under contradictions. In the
history of Japan, Crasset relates that a certain Augus-
tinian missionary who, in the time of the persecution,
had changed his dress, received a buffet without resent
ing it. Seeing his meekness, the idolaters instantly
supposed him to be a Christian, and laid hold of him;
for said they, no one but a Christian could practise such
virtue.
Ah ! at the sight of Jesus loaded with contempt it is
easy to bear all insults. Standing one day before a
crucifix, Blessed Mary of the Incarnation said to her
religious: "O sisters ! can it be possible that we will not
bear contempt when we see a God so despised ?" On
his journey to Rome to receive the crown of martyrdom,
St. Ignatius, Martyr, finding himself so maltreated by
the soldiers, said: "I now begin to be the servant of
Christ." : What can be expected from a Christian if he
is not able to bear contempt for Jesus Christ? It is in
deed very painful to our pride to be despised and in
sulted, without seeking revenge, or even making a reply.
1 " Mansuetus, utilis sibi et aliis." — In Act. horn. 6.
2 In Gen. horn. 34.
3 " Nunc incipio esse Christ! discipulus." — Ep. ad Rom.
334 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
But in doing violence to ourselves consists our progress
in perfection, says St. Jerome.1 A holy nun, whenever
she received an affront, was accustomed to go to the
holy sacrament, and to say: " Lord, I am a poor miser
able creature: I have nothing to present to you, but I
offer this little gift — this insult that I have received."
Oh, how lovingly does Jesus Christ embrace the soul
that is despised ! Oh, how soon does he console her
and enrich her with his graces !
Ah ! the soul that truly loves Jesus Christ not only
bears insults in peace, but embraces them with pleasure
and joy. The holy Apostles went from the presence of the
council rejoicing that they were accotinted worthy to suffer re
proach for the name of Jesus? St. Joseph Calasanctius
used to say that in many are verified the last words of
this passage — they are accounted worthy to suffer re
proach for the name of Jesus, but not the first — they went
rejoicing. But he who wishes to be a saint must at least
aspire to this degree of perfection. " He is not humble
that does not wish to be despised," 3 says the same saint.
The Venerable Louis da Ponte did not at first understand
how a man could rejoice in contempt; but when he after
wards attained higher perfection he easily comprehended
it, and experienced joy under insults. It was this that
St. Ignatius of Loyola, coming~from heaven, taught St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi: he said to her that true
humility consists in attaining such a state of mind as
to feel a continual joy in all things which can lead a
person to self-contempt.
Worldlings do not rejoice as much in the honors that
they receive, as the saints do in seeing themselves de-
1 " Tantum proficies, quantum tibi ipsi vim intuleris." — De Imit. 1.
I, c. 25.
* " Ibant gaudentes a conspectu concilii, quoniam digni habiti sunt
pro nomine Jesu contumeliam pati." — Acts, v. 41.
3 " Non est humilis, qui non optat sperni."
INSTR. vn.i Meekness. 335
spised. Brother Juniper, of the Order of St. Francis,
when treated with insult held out his habit as if to
receive precious gems. When St. John Francis Regis
saw himself made an object of laughter he not only
rejoiced at the humiliation, but sought still more to
excite derision. To St. John of the Cross the Redeemer
once appeared with a cross on his shoulders and a crown
of thorns on his head, and said: "John, ask what you
desire of me." 1 The saint answered: " O Lord ! to suffer
and to be despised for Thee."5 As if he said: Lord,
since I see you so afflicted and despised for my sake,
what else can I ask but sufferings. and contempt?
To conclude: He who wishes to belong entirely to God,
and to assimilate himself to Jesus Christ, must love to
be unknown and disregarded. " Love to be unknown
and to be regarded as nothing," 3 was the great lesson of
St. Bonaventure, which St. Philip Neri constantly incul
cated to his spiritual children. Jesus Christ tells us to
esteem ourselves happy, and to exult with joy when we
are hated, cast off, and censured by men for his sake.
He tells us that the more galling the insults which we
accept with joy, the greater the reward will he give us
in heaven. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and
when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast
out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Be glad
in that day and rejoice; for, behold, your reward is great in
heaven? And what greater joy can a soul feel than that
which arises from seeing herself despised for the love of
Jesus Christ? Then, says St. Peter, she obtains the
1 "Joannes, pete quid vis a me."
2 " Domine, pati et contemni pro te."
3 " Ama nesciri et pro nihilo reputari." — Alphab. rel.
4 " Beati eritis, cum vos oderint homines, et cum separaverint vos,
et exprobraverint, et ejecerint nomen vestrum tanquam malum, prop-
ter Filium hominis. Gaudete in ilia die, et exsultate; ecce enim mer-
ces vestra multa est in ccelo." — Luke, vi. 22.
336 Material for Instructions. LPART n.
greatest honor that it is possible for her to receive; for
God then treats her as he has treated his own very Son.
If you are reproached for the name of CJirist, you shall be
blessed, for that which is of the honor, glory, and power of God
. . . resteth upon you?
1 "Si exprobramini in nomine Christi, beati eritis, quoniam quod
est honoris, glorize, et virtutis Dei, et qui est ejus Spiritus, super vos
requiescit." — I Pet. iv. 14.
INSTR. vin.] Mortification in General. 337
INSTRUCTION VIII.
MORTIFICATION, AND PARTICULARLY INTERIOR MORTIFI
CATION.
I.
Necessity of Mortification in General.
MAN was created by God in a state of integrity, so
that without a struggle the senses obeyed the spirit, and
the spirit obeyed God: God made man right.1 Sin came
and deranged the beautiful order that God had estab
lished, and the life of man began to be a state of con
tinual warfare: For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and
the spirit against the flesh?' But I see, says the Apostle in
a tone of lamentation, another law in my members, fighting
against the law of the mind, and captivating me in the law of
sin that is in my members.^
Hence for man there are two kinds of life — the life of
the angels, who seek to do the will of God, and the life
of beasts, who attend only to the indulgence of the
senses. If a man labors to do the will of God he be
comes an angel; if he seeks after sensual gratifications
he becomes a beast. Hence what the Lord prescribed
to Jeremias, Lo, I have set thee this day . . . to root up and
to pull down, . . . to build and to plant? we ought to do in
1 "Quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum." — Eccles. vii. 30.
'2 " Caro enim concupiscit adversus spiritum, spiritus autem adver-
sus camera." — Gal. v, 17.
;{ "Video autem aliam legem in membris meis, repugnantem legi
mentis meae, et captivantem me in lege peccati." -- Rom. vii. 23.
4 " Constitui te . . . ut evellas et destruas, . . . aedifices et plantes."
— Jer. i. 10.
22
338 Material for Instructions. IPART n
ourselves: we should plant virtues, but we should first
extirpate noxious weeds. Hence we must always carry
in our hand the mattock of mortification, to cut down
the evil desires that constantly spring up and bud forth
within us from the infected roots of concupiscence;
otherwise the soul shall become a forest of vices.
In a word, it is necessary to cleanse the heart, if we
wish for light to know God, the sovereign Good: jBlessed
are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.1 Hence St.
Augustine has said: "If you wish to see God take care,
to purify your heart."2 Isaias asks: Whom shall He teach
knowledge ? . . . Them that are weaned from the milk, that
are drawn away from the breasts? God gives the science
of the saints, that is, the science of knowing and loving
him, only to them that are weaned and drawn away from
the breasts of the world: But tJie sensual man perceivetJi not
these things that are of the Spirit of God." He who like a
brute animal seeks after sensual pleasures is not capable
of even understanding the excellence of spiritual goods.
St. Francis de Sales says that as salt preserves flesh
from corruption, so mortification preserves the soul from
sin. In the soul in which mortification reigns all virtues
shall flourish. Myrrh and stacte and cassia perfume thy gar
ments'" On this passage Guerric the abbot writes: " When
myrrh begins to exhale a perfume, soon other aromatical
perfumes will be exhaled. "f This is precisely what the
1 "Beat! mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt." — Matth. v. 8.
2 " Deum videre vis? prius cogita de corde mundando."— Serm. 177,
E. B. app.
3 " Quern docebit (Deus) scientiam ? Ablactatos a lacte, avulsos ab
uberibus." — ha. xxviii. 9.
4 " Animalis autem homo non percipit ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei."-
i Cor. ii. 14.
5 " Myrrha, et gutta. et casia, a vestimentis tuis." — Ps. xliv. 9.
6 " Si myrrha prima spirare coeperit per mortificationem voluptatum,
consequentur et alise species aromaticae."— De Annunt. s. i.
INSTR. viii.] Mortification in General. 339
sacred Spouse has said: I have gathered my myrrh with my
aromatical spices. '
All our sanctity and salvation consist in following the
examples of Jesus Christ: For whom He foreknew, He also
predestinated to be made conformable to the image of His Son?
But we shall not be able to imitate Jesus Christ unless
we deny ourselves, and embrace by mortification the
cross that he gives us to carry: If any man will come after
Me, let him deny Jiimself and take up his cross and follow Me?
The life of our Redeemer was all full of sufferings, of sor
rows, and ignominies. Hence Isaias said of him, that he
was despised and the most abject of men: a man of sorrows.*
As a mother takes nauseous medicine in order to cure
the infant to which she gives suck, so our Redeemer,
says St. Catharine of Sienna, wished to assume so many
pains in order to heal the infirmities of us poor sinners.
But since Jesus Christ has endured so much for the love
of us, it is but just that we suffer for his sake. We must,
then, endeavor to follow the advice of St. Paul: Always
bearing about in your body the mortification of Jesus, that the
life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies? " This
we shall do," says St. Anselm in his comment on the
preceding text, when, "in imitation of him, we assidu
ously practise mortification. "f To this we priests, who
celebrate the mysteries of the Passion of our Lord, are
bound in a special manner. " Because," says Hugh of
St. Victor, "while celebrating the divine mysteries we
" Messui myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis." — Cant. v. i.
2 " Quos praescivit, et prsedestinavit conformes fieri imaginis Filii
sui." — Rom. viii. 29.
3 " Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum, et tollat crucem
suam, et sequatur me." — Matt. xvi. 24.
" Despectum et novissimum virorum, virum dolorum." — Isa. liii. 3.
5 "Semper mortificationem Jesu in corpore nostro circumferentes,
ut et vita Jesu manifestetur in corporibus nostris." — 2 Cor. iv. 10.
6 " Ad ejus imitationem, assidue carnem mortificemus."
340 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
celebrate the Passion of our Lord: we should therefore
be careful to reproduce it in our lives." '
The principal means of acquiring sanctity are prayer
and mortification, represented in the sacred Scripture by
incense and myrrh. Who is this that goeth up by the desert,
as a pillar of smoke of uromatical spices, of myrrh and frank
incense? The Holy Ghost adds: and of all the powders of
the perfumer? to show that prayer and mortification are
followed by all virtues. — Prayer, then, and mortification,
are necessary to render a soul holy; but mortification
must precede prayer: / will go to the mountain of myrrh
and to the hill of frankincense? Thus our Lord invites us
to follow him, first to the mountain of myrrh, and then
to the hill of frankincense. St. Francis Borgia used to
say, that prayer introduces divine love into the heart;
but it is mortification that prepares a place for charity,
by removing from the soul the world, which should
otherwise prevent the entrance of love. Should a per
son go to a fountain for water with a vessel full of earth,
he shall take back nothing but mire. He must first cast
away the earth, and then fill the vessel with water. Father
Baltassar Alvarez used to say that prayer without mor
tification is either an illusion, or will be only of short
duration. And St. Ignatius of Loyola has said that a
mortified soul unites herself more intimately to God in
a quarter of an hour's prayer, than an immortified soul
does in several hours. Hence, having once heard a per
son praised for his great spirit of prayer, the saint said:
"It is a sign that he practises great mortification."
1 "Quia passionis dominicae mysteria celebramus, debemus imitari
quod agimus."
'2 "Quae est ista quae ascendit per desertum, sicut virgula fumi ex
aromatibus myrrhae et thuris?" — Cant. Hi. 6.
3 ' ' Et universi pulveris pigmentarii."
4 " Vadam ad montem myrrhae et ad collem thuris." — Cant. iv. 6.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 341
n.
Necessity of Interior Mortification.
We have a soul and a body. External mortification is
necessary in order to mortify the disorderly appetites of
the body; and interior mortification is necessary in order
to mortify the irregular affections of the soul. All this
is comprised in the following words of the Saviour: If
any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow Me.1 External mortification is in
cluded in the words let him take up his cross; this species
of mortification is necessary, as we shall see hereafter: but
interior mortification is still more important and neces
sary — let him deny himself. This consists in subjecting to
reason the disorderly passions of the soul; such as am
bition, inordinate anger, self-esteem, attachment to self-
interest, to our own opinion, or to self-will. " There are
two kinds of crosses," says St. Augustine, "one corporal,
the other spiritual. The latter is more sublime, and con
sists in curbing the inordinate inclinations of the heart." a
External mortification, then, represses the appetites of
the body in order to bring it under subjection to the
spirit; the interior mortification restrains the affections
of the heart in order to subject them to reason and God;
hence it has been called by the Apostle: The circumcision
is that of the heart, in the spirit? In themselves the passions
are indifferent, and not sinful; and when well regulated
by reason they are useful, because they contribute to
the preservation of our existence. But when opposed
to reason, they are the ruin of the soul. Miserable the
1 " Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum, et tollat crucem
suam, et sequatur me." — Matt. xvi. 24.
2 " Duo sunt crucis genera, unum corporale, aliud spirituale. Al-
terum est sublimius, scilicet, regere motus animi." — Serin. 196, E.
B. app.
3 " Circumcisio cordis in spiritu." — Rom. ii. 29.
342 Material for Instructions. IPART n.
soul that God leaves in the hands of her own desires !
This is the greatest chastisement which he can inflict
upon her. I let tliein go according to the desires of their own
hearts: they shall walk in their own inventiotis.1 Hence we
must always pray to the Lord in the words of Solomon:
Give me not over to a shameful and foolish mind? My God,
do not abandon me into the hands of my passions.
Our principal care, then, should be to conquer ourselves.
Conquer thyself? St. Ignatius of Loyola appeared not to
consfder any lesson more important than that which is
contained in the words Conquer thyself: his familiar dis
courses were ordinarily on conquering self-love and sub
duing self-will; and he would say, that out of a hundred
persons who practise prayer, more than ninety are at
tached to their own opinion. He set a greater value on
a single act of mortification of self-will than on several
hours spent in prayer, in the midst of spiritual consola
tions. To a Brother who separated from the company
of the others in order to get rid of a certain defect the
saint said, that he would have gained more by a few acts
of mortification in the society of his companions than
he would by remaining silent in a cave for an entire
year. •* It is no small matter," writes Thomas a Kempis,
"even in things the most trifling, to relinquish self."4
On the other hand, St. Peter Damian asserts that unless
he leaves himself, it will profit a man nothing to have
forsaken all things.5 Hence, to a person who wished to
leave all things in order to give himself to God, St.
Bernard said: "Remember that if you have resolved to
1 " Dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis eorum; ibunt in adinven-
tionibus suis." — Ps. Ixxx. 13.
2 " Animse irreverent! et infrunitae ne tradas me." — Ecclus. xxiii. 6.
3 " Vince teipsum."
4 " Non est minimum, in minimis seipsum relinquere." — De Imit,
1. 3- c. 39-
5 " Nihil prodest, sine seipso cretera reliquisse." — Ilom. 9,
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 343
leave everything, you must count yourself among those
things that you must leave." ' Unless, adds the saint,
you deny yourself, you shall never be able to be a fol
lower of Jesus Christ.2 Our Redeemer hath rejoiced as a
giant to run the way.3 But, says the holy Doctor, he who
carries the weight of his passions and of earthly affec
tions, and wishes to follow the Saviour, shall not be able
to keep within view of Jesus running the way.
It is necessary, above all, to attend to the subjugation
of the predominant passion. Some are careful to mortify
themselves in many things, but make little effort to con
quer the passion to which they are most inclined; such
persons can never advance in the way of God. He who
allows any irregular passion to rule over him, is in great
danger of being lost. But, on the other hand, he who
subdues the predominant passion will easily conquer all
his other passions. When the strongest enemy is van
quished, it is easy to defeat less powerful foes. The value
and merit of the victory is greatest when the greatest
valor is required: for example, some are not avaricious
of money, but are full of self-esteem; others are not
ambitious of honors, but feel a great thirst for riches.
Unless the former are careful to practise mortification,
when treated with contempt, their disregard for riches
will profit them but little. Unless the latter labor to
mortify the desire of wealth, their contempt for honors
will be but of little advantage to them. In a word, a
person gains most merit and makes the greatest prog
ress when he uses the greatest violence to conquer
himself. "So much will you advance in virtue," says
" Qui relinquere disponis omnia, te quoque inter relinquenda
numerare memento." — Declam. n. 3.
2 "Sane, nisi abnegaverit semetipsum, sequi eum (Christum) non
potest." — Ib. n. 48.
3 " Exsultavit ut gigas ad currendam viam" (Ps, xviii, 6); " nee sequi
poteras oneratus." — Declam. n. 2.
344 Material J or Instructions. [PARTII.
St. Jerome, " as you do violence to yourself." J St. Ig
natius was naturally prone to anger, but by virtue he
became so meek that he was considered to be a man of
a mild disposition. St. Francis de Sales was also strong
ly inclined to anger; but by the violence that he offered
to himself he became, as we read in his life, an example
of patience and sweetness in the many contradictions
and insults that he received.
External mortification, without interior self-denial',
profits the soul but little. Of what use, says St. Jerome,
is it to reduce the body by fasting, and afterwards to
swell with pride? or to abstain from wine, and to be in
ebriated with hatred ?2 The Apostle says that we must
put off the old man, that is, attachment to self-love, and
clothe ourselves with the new man, that is, Jesus Christ,
who never pleased himself. For, says St. Paul, Christ
did not please Himself? Hence St. Bernard pitied certain
monks who wore an humble dress, but interiorly cher
ished their passions: "This humble habit is not a sign
of interior holiness, but a cover thrown over inveterate
corruption. They have not stripped themselves of the
old man, but have only hidden him."4 They, says the
saint, do not put off their vices: they only cover them
with the exterior marks of penance. Hence, fasting,
watching, hair-shirts, and disciplines are of little or no
use to him who is attached to himself, and to what be
longs to him.
1 "Tantum proficies, quantum tibi ipsi vim intuleris." — De Imit. 1.
J, c. 25.
2 "Quid prodest tenuari abstinentia, si animus intumescit superbia?
Quid vinum non bibere, et odio inebriari ?" — Ef. ad Celant.
3 " Etenim Christus non sibi complacuit." — Rom. xv. 3.
4 " Humilis habitus non sanctse novitatis est meritum, sed priscse
vetustatis operculum. Veterem hominem non exuerunt, sed novo
palliant." — In Cant, s, 16.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 345
in.
The Practice of Interior Mortification.
They, says St. John Climacus,1 who wish to belong
entirely to God must divest themselves of attachment
to four things in particular: to property, to honors, to
relatives, and above all, to self-will.
i. PROPERTY.
First, it is necessary to remove attachment to property
or to riches. St. Bernard says that riches are a burden
to him who possesses them, that they contaminate the
man who loves them, and torture him who loses them.3
The priest ought to remember, that when he entered the
sanctuary he declared, in the following words, that he
wished for no other possessions than God: The Lord is the
portion of my inheritance; . . . it is Thou that wilt restore my
inheritance to me.3 • The ecclesiastic, then, says St. Peter
Damian, who after having chosen God for his portion
attends to the acquisition of riches, offers a great insult
to his Creator.4 Yes, for by his conduct he shows that
he considers the Lord not sufficient to content his heart.
St. Bernard says, and says truly, that among the covet
ous there is none more avaricious than the ecclesiastic
who is attached to money.5 How many priests are there
who, but for the miserable honorarium that they receive,
would seldom say Mass ! Would to God that they never
1 Seal. par. gr. 2.
2 " Possessa onerant, amata inquinant, atnissa cruciant." — Ep. 103.
3 " Dominus pars hereditatis meae et calicis mei; tu es qui restitues
hereditatem. meam mihi." — Ps. xv. 5.
4 " Si igitur Deus portio ejus est, non levem Creatori suo contume-
liam videtur inferre, qui, super hoc singulare talentum, terrenam
sestuat pecuniam cumulate." — Opusc. 27. procem.
5 "Quis, obsecro, avidius clericis quaerit temporalia?" — S. ad Past.
in syn.
346 Material for Instructions. [PART H.
offered the holy sacrifice ! They, as St. Augustine says,
belong to that class of men who do not seek for money
in order to serve God; but serve God in order to accu
mulate riches.1 What a disgrace, exclaims St. Jerome,
to see a priest intent on the acquisition of wealth !2
But let us pass by the disgrace, and examine the great
danger of perdition, to which a priest intent on heaping
up riches exposes his soul. " Those priests are greatly
in peril," says St. Hilary, " who are anxious to amass
riches and increase their fortune."5 This the Apostle
has taught, saying that such persons shall not only be
molested by many cares which impede their spiriual
progress, but shall also fall into temptations and desires
which will lead them to ruin. They that will become rich,
fall into temptations, . . . and into many unprofitable and
hurtful desires, which draw men into destruction and perdi
tion? And into what excesses, thefts, injustice, simony,
and sacrileges has the desire of money precipitated cer
tain priests ! St. Ambrose says: " He who amasses gold
loses the grace of God."5 St. Paul assimilates avarice
to idolatry: A covetous person (which is a serving of idols) ."
And justly, for the covetous man makes money his God,
that is, his last end.
" Extirpate the thirst for gold," says St. John Chrysos-
tom, "and you will extirpate all crimes."' If, then, we
wish to possess God, let us remove all attachment to the
1 " Non nummum propter Deum impendunt, sed Deum propter
nummum colunt." — De Civ. D. \. n, c. 25.
2 " Ignominia Sacerdotis est studere divitiis." — Ep. ad Nepot.
3 " Ingenti periculo sunt Sacerdotes qui curis pecuniae, et familiarium
rerum incrementis, occupantur." — In Ps. 138.
4 "Qui volunt divites fieri, incidunt in tentationem, et in laqueum
diaboli, et desideria multa inutilia et nociva, quse mergunt homines in
interitum et perditionem."— i Tim. vi. 9.
6 " Qui aurum redigit, gratiam prodigit." — Serin. 59.
6 "Avarus, quod est idolorum servitus." — Ephes. v. 5.
7 " Tolle pecuniarum studium, et omnia mala sublata sum "—.'/.' :
Tim. horn. 17.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 347
goods of this world. St. Philip Neri used to say that
he who seeks after riches shall never become a saint.
The riches of us who are priests should consist not in
possessions, but in virtues; these will make us great in
heaven, and give us strength on earth against the ene
mies of our salvation. This is the language of St. Pros
per: " Our riches are chastity, piety, humility, meekness:
they only will make us great in heaven, and at the same
time strong upon earth against the enemies of our sal
vation." ' Let us, says the Apostle, be content with
moderate food for the support of life, and simple raiment
to cover the body: let us labor to become saints; this
alone is important to us: But having food, and ivherewitli
to be covered, with these we are content? Of what use are
earthly goods, which we must one day quit, and which
never content the heart? Let us seek to acquire goods
which shall accompany us to eternity, and make us
happy forever in heaven: Lay not up to yourselves treasures
on eartJi, where the rust and the moth consume. . . . But lay
up treasures in heaven? Hence, in the Council of Milan
the following admonition was given to priests: " Lay up
treasures not on earth, but good works and souls for
heaven.' ' The treasures of a priest should consist in
good works, and in gaining souls to God.
Hence, in conformity with the words of the Apostle:
No man being a soldier to God entangleth himself with secular
business, that he may please Him to Whom he hath engaged
1 " Divitios nostrae sunt pudicitia, pietas, humilitas, mansuetudo;
illse nobis ambiendae sunt, quae nos ornare possint, pariter et munire."
— De Vita cont. 1. 2, c. 13.
2 " Habentes autem alimenta, et quibus tegamur, his content!
simus." — i Tim. vi. 8.
3 " Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra, ubi aerugo et tinea
demolitur. . . . Thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in coelo."-
Matth. vi. 19.
4 "Thesaurizate, non thesauros in terra, sed bonorum operum et '
animarum in coelis."
348 Material for Instructions. (PART n.
•
himself* The holy Church prohibits, with so much rigor,
and under pain of censure, ecclesiastics to engage in
traffic. The priest is consecrated to God; he therefore
should attend to no other business than the advance
ment of God's glory. The Lord does not accept empty
victims from which the marrow has been extracted. /
will offer up to Thee, said David, holocausts full of marrow?
The sacrifices, the Masses, Offices, and works that a
priest dissipated by the cares of traffic offers to God
are, says St. Peter Damian, empty; for he has taken
away the marrow, that is, attention and devotion, and
presents only the skin or external appearance.3 What a
misery to see a priest, who could save souls and do
great things for the glory of God, employed in buying
and selling, and engaged in traffic of cattle and corn.
" You are consecrated," says Peter de Blois, " to great
things do not occupy yourself with what is trivial."1
What but a spider's web, says St. Bernard, is earthly
traffic ? 5 As the spider eviscerates itself, making its web
for the purpose of catching a fly, so, O God ! certain
priests spend themselves, lose their time, and the fruit
of their spiritual works, in order to gain a little dust.
They submit to labors, to anxiety and disquietude, for
emptiness, when they could possess God, who is the
Lord of all things. "Why do we trouble ourselves,"
exclaims St. Bonaventure, " about nothing, while we may
possess the Creator of all things ?" 6
1 "Nemo, militans Deo, implicat se negotiis saecularibus, ut ei pla-
ceat, cui se probavit." — 2 Tim. ii. 4.
2 " Holocausta medullata offeram tibi." — Ps. Ixv. 15.
a " Quisquis se per negotiorum saeeularium exercitia delectabiliter
fundit, holocaust! sui medullas cum visceribus subtrahit, et solam
victimae pellem Deo adolere contendit." — Opusc. 12, c. 22.
4 " Magnis addictus es, noli minimis occupari." — De Inst. Episc.
5 " Fructus horum quid, nisi araneorum telae ?" — De Cons. \. i. c. 2.
6 " Nescio cur nos affligimus circa nihil, cum possidere Creatorem
omnium valeamus !" — Stim. div, am. p. 2, c. 2.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 349
Some will say: But I act justly; I attend to this busi
ness without any scruple of conscience. I answer, first,
that, as has been already said, ecclesiastics are forbidden
to engage even in a just traffic: hence if they do not
violate justice, they at least sin against the precept of
the Church. Besides, St. Bernard says: "Wherever the
river flows there it hollows out the earth; so the appli- '
cation to earthly affairs injures the conscience." ] As
in their passage the running waters eat away the banks
of the river, so the cares of traffic gnaw the conscience,
that is, they make us always fail in some duty. If, says
St. Gregory, traffic were productive of no other evil, at
least the crowd of worldly thoughts that it engenders
closes the ear of the heart, and prevents it from hearing
the divine inspirations.2 In a word, St. Isidore writes:
"The more priests occupy themselves with the care of
earthly affairs, the more they separate themselves from
the things of heaven." : It is true that some are obliged
by charity to attend to the affairs of their family; but,
according to St. Gregory, this should be permitted only
in cases of strict necessity.4 Some priests undertake,
without necessity, the care of the concerns of their
family, and even forbid relatives to interfere in them;
but if they wished to attend to the affairs of their family
why have they become ministers of the family of God ?
The priest who seeks to be employed in the courts
of the great also exposes his soul to very imminent dan
ger. Peter de Blois says that as the saints are saved
through many tribulations, so they who enter courts are
1 " Rivus, qua fluit, cavat terram ; sic discursus temporalium con-
scientiam rodit." — De Cons, 1. 4, c. 6.
2 "Aurem cordis terrenarum cogitationum turba, dum perstrepit,
claudit." — Mor. 1. 23, c. 20.
3 "Quanto se rerum studiis occupant, tanto a charitate divina se
separant."
4 " Ssecularia negotia aliquando ex compassione toleranda sunt,
nunquam vero ex amore requirenda." — Past. p. 2, c. 7.
350 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
lost through many tribulations.1 It is very dangerous
for a priest to plead as an advocate in the courts of law.
" In the court," says St. Ambrose, " Christ is not found." 2
What fervor, I ask, can the priest have who pleads in the
courts? How can he say the Office and Mass with de
votion when the causes he has to defend fill his whole
mind and hinder him from thinking of God ? The causes
that a priest should advocate are the causes of poor
sinners; and these he should seek to deliver from the
hands of the devil and from eternal death by sermons,
by hearing confessions, or at least by admonitions and
prayers. A priest should abstain from pleading, not
only for others, but also for himself. Every temporal
law-suit is a seminary of cares and disquietudes, of
rancor and sins. Hence we read in the Gospel: And
if a man will contend with tJiee in judgment and take
away thy coat, let go thy cloak also to him? We know
that this is only a counsel; but let us at least avoid
suits that are but of trifling importance. You may
get rid of temporal misery, you may gain a victory,
but you shall suffer a great loss of fervor and peace.
" Sacrifice something," says St. Augustine, " in order
that you may enjoy God and escape law-suits. Lose
your money in order to purchase peace for your soul."4
St. Francis de Sales has said that to go to law, and not
yield to folly, is scarcely given to the saints. Hence St.
John Chrysostom condemned all that engaged in litiga
tion.5
1 " Per multas tribulationes, intrant justi in regnum coelorum; hi
autem, per multas tribulationes, promerentur infernum." — Ep. 14.
2 " Non in foro Christus reperitur." — DC Virginit. \. 3.
3 " Ei. qui vult tecum judicio contendere, et tunicam tuam tollere,
dimitte ei et pallium." — Matt. v. 40.
4 " Perde aliquid, ut Deo vaces, non litibus. Perde nummos, ut
emas tibi quietem." — Serin. 167, R. B.
5 " Hinc jam te condemno, quod judicio contendas." — In i Cor.
horn. 16.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 351
What shall we say of gaming? According to the
Canons, it is certain that to play frequently and for a
long time at games of mere hazard, or for a large sum,
at least when it is accompanied with scandal to others,
is a mortal sin. With regard to other games, which are
called games of amusement, I will not here discuss the
question whether they are lawful or unlawful; but I say
that such amusements are but little suited to a minister
of God, who, if he wishes to fulfil his obligation to him
self and his neighbor, has certainly no superfluous time
to spend in gaming. I read that St. John Chrysostom
says: "It is the devil that has introduced gaming into
the world."1 I find that St. Ambrose writes: " I am of
opinion that one should not only avoid frequent plays,
but all plays."5 In the same place he says that recrea
tion is lawful; but not the recreations which derange
regularity of life, or which are not suited to one's state.
Hence he adds: "Although at times a play may be
proper, yet it is not proper for ecclesiastics."3
2. HONORS.
Secondly, a priest should divest himself of attach
ment to worldly honors. Peter de Blois says that the
ambition of honors is the ruin of souls.4 For ambition
disturbs regularity of life, and injures charity towards
God. Ambition, as the same author says, pretends to
resemble charity, and is quite opposed to it. Charity
suffers all things, but only for the attainment of eternal
goods: ambition bears all things,5 but only for things
" Diabolus est qui in artem ludos ingessit." — In Matth. horn. 6.
" Non solum profusos, sed omnes etiam jocos declinandos arbi-
tror." — Offic. 1. i, c. 23.
"Licet interdum honesta joca sint, tamen ab ecclesiastica abhor
rent regula.''
"Animarum subversio, cupiditas dignitatum." — Ep. 23.
" Patitur omnia, sed pro caducis." — Ep. 14.
352 Material for Instructions. [PART n
perishable. Charity is all benignity to the poor, but am
bition is kind to the rich.1 Charity bears all2 in order
to please God; ambition submits to all evils for the sake
of vanity. Charity believes and hopes for all that ap
pertains to eternal glory; ambition believes all things,
hopes for all things, that tend to the glory of this life.3
Oh ! to how many thorns, fears, censures, refusals,
and insults must the ambitious submit in order to attain
a dignity, an office of honor ! " How many thorns
await those that strive after honors!"4 says St. Augus
tine. And in the end what do the ambitious gain but a
little smoke, which, when enjoyed, does not content the
heart, and speedily disappears. / have seen the wicked
highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon. And
I passed by, and lo he was not? Besides, the Scripture
says that to him who seeks it honor becomes an occa
sion of disgrace. The promotion of fools is disgrace? And,
according to St. Bernard, the greater the honor the
more the unworthy possessor, who has procured it by
his own exertions, is despised by others.7 For the
more exalted the dignity, the more clearly the man who
is unfit for it shows his unworthiness by seeking to
obtain it.8
Add to this the great dangers of eternal salvation
which arise from offices of honor. Father Vincent
Carafa once visited a sick friend who had just been
appointed to a situation of great emolument, but also of
1 " Benigna est, sed divitibus."
2 " Omnia suffert pro vanitate."
3 " Omnia credit, omnia sperat, sed quse sunt ad gloriam hujus
vitae."
4 " In honorurn cupiditate, quanta spinae !" — Enarr. in Ps. 102.
5 " Vidi impium superexaltatum, et elevatum sicut cedros Libani;
et transivi, et ecce non erat." — Ps. xxxvi. 35.
6 " Stultorum exaltatio, ignominia." — Prov. Hi. 35.
7 " Eo deformior, quo illustrior." — DC O;«. 1. 2, c. 7.
8 " Claras suas maculas reddit." — Variar* 1. 12, n. 2.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 353
great danger. The sick man entreated the Father to
obtain from God the restoration of his health; but Ca-
rafa answered: No, my friend, God forbid that I should
violate the love that I bear you: your sickness is a grace
from the Lord, who wishes to save you by sending death
now that your soul is in a good state. Perhaps you
might not be in such a state hereafter should you enter
on the office that has been given you. The friend died,
and died full of consolation. We should have a special
fear of all offices to which the care of souls is annexed.
St. Augustine said that many envied his elevation to
the episcopacy, but he was afflicted at it on account of
the danger to which his salvation was exposed.1 St. John
Chrysostom when made bishop was so much terrified
that, as he afterwards said, he felt as if his soul were
separating from the body: he had great doubts about
the salvation of a pastor of souls.2 But if the saints,
forced against their will to become prelates, tremble for
the account that they must render to God, howr should
he tremble who intrudes himself into an office to which
is annexed the care of souls ? " The measure of honor,1'
says St. Ambrose, " must be measured by the strength
of him that is to bear it, otherwise if the bearer is too
weak the burden will weigh him down and cause his
ruin." J A weak man who puts on his back a great
weight shall not be able to carry it, but shall be op
pressed by it.
St. Anselm says that he who wishes to obtain eccle
siastical honors through right and wrong does not re-
" Invident nobis; ibi nos felices putant, ubi periclitamur." —
Serm. 354, E. B.
2 " Miror, an fieri possit, ut aliquis ex rectoribus salvus fiat." — In
Heb. horn. 34.
3 " Mensura oneris, pro mensura debet esse gestantis; alioquin
impositi oneris fit ruina, ubi vectoris infirmitas est." — Lib. de Viduis.
23
354 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
ceive them, but takes them by force.1 St. Bernard says
the same: "Those whom we see entering of themselves
the vineyard of the Lord are not laborers, but robbers. "2
This is conformable to the words of Osee: They have
reigned, but not by Me.3 * Hence it happens, as St. Leo
says, that the Church, which is governed by such ambi
tious ministers, is neither served nor honored, but de
spised and defiled.4
Let us, then, attend to the beautiful lesson of Jesus
Christ: Sit down in the lowest place? He who sits on the
ground is not afraid of falling. We are ashes: " The
place of ashes and dust is not in a high place, for they
will be scattered by the wind," says the angelic Doctor."
Happy the priest who can say: I have chosen to be an ab
ject in the house of my God rather than to dwell in the taber
nacles of sinners.'1
3. RELATIVES.
Thirdly, a priest must divest himself of attachment
to relatives. If any man, says Jesus Christ, hate not his
father and mother, . . . he cannot be my disciple? But how
1 "Qui enim se ingerit, et propriam gloriam quaerit, non sumit
honorem, sed, gratise Dei rapinam faciens, jus alienum usurpat." —
In Heb. v. 4.
2 " Quos videmus vineis dominicis se ingerere, fures sunt, non
cultores." — In Cant. s. 30.
3 " Ipse regnaverunt, et non ex me." — Osee, viii. 4.
4 " Corpus Ecclesise ambientium contagione foedatur." — Ep. I.
5 " Recumbe in novissimo loco." — L-uke, xiv. 10.
6 " Cineri non expedit, ut in alto sit, ne dispergatur a vento." — De
Enid, princ. \. I, c. I.
1 " Elegi abjectus esse in domo Dei mei, magis quam habitare in
tabernaculis peccatorum." — Ps. Ixxxiii. u.
" Si quis . . . non odit patrem suum et matrem, . . . non potest
meus esse discipulus." — Luke, xiv. 26.
* We may also apply here the words of our Lord: " Qui non intrat
per ostium in ovile ovium, sed ascendit aliunde, ille fur est et latro."
— John, x. i.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 355
are we to hate relatives ? We must, says a learned
author, disown them in whatever is opposed to our
spiritual advancement: "If they hinder us from living
according to the rules of ecclesiastical discipline, if they
ask that we should involve ourselves in secular busi
ness, then we must hate and shun them as our oppo
nents." ' And before him St. Gregory said: " To those
that are a hindrance to us on the road to God we must
show by hatred and flight that we do not know them."2
Peter de Blois writes: "No one should be chosen priest
who does not say to his father and mother, I know you
not.": St. Ambrose says that he who wishes to serve
God ought to deny his relatives.4 We should honor
parents, but we must first obey God, says St. Augustine.5
To show great kindness to relatives, and not to obey God,
is, according to St. Jerome, not piety, but impiety." Our
Redeemer has declared that he came on earth to detach
us from relatives. I came to set a man at variance against
his father, and the daughter against her mother, etc.7 And
why? Because in spiritual concerns .relatives are our
greatest enemies: A mans enemies shall be they of his
household.* Hence St. Basil exhorts us to avoid, as a
temptation of the devil, the care of the property of rela-
1 " Si prohibeant ne vitam secundum ecclesiastics discipline nor-
mam instituat, si negotiis ssecularibus eum implicent, tune eos, tan-
quam in Dei adversaries, odisse et fugere tenetur." — Abelly, Sac. chr.
p. 4, c. 6.
2 "Quos adversaries in via Dei patimur, odiendo et fugiendo nes-
ciamus." — In Evang. horn. 37.
" Nee in domo Domini Sacerdos eligitur, nisi qui dixerit patri et
matri: Nescio vos." — Ep. 102.
4 " Suis se abneget, qui servire Deo gestit." — De Esau, c. 2.
6 " Honorandus est pater, sed obediendum est Deo." — Serni. 100,
E. B.
6 "Grandis in suos pietas, impietas in Deum est."— Ep. ad Paulam.
" Veni enim separare hominem adversus patrem suum." — Matth.
x. 35-
" Et inimici hominis, domestici ejus." — Ibid. 36.
356 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
tives.1 What a misery to see a priest who could save
numberless souls altogether occupied in transacting the
business of his family, and in attending to the manage
ment of farms, flocks of sheep, and the like ? What !
exclaims St. Jerome, must a priest abandon the service
of the Father of heaven to please an earthly parent ?2
The saint says that when there is question of serving
God, a son (if it be necessary) should trample on his
father: " What would you do in the house of your parents,
O delicate soldier !" asks the saint, "where is the wall,
where the ditch ? Yes, even if the father lay across the
threshold walk quietly over him, and hasten with un-
moistened eyes to the banner of the cross. Filial piety
in this case consists in being cruel." :
St. Augustine relates that St. Anthony having received
a letter from his relatives threw it into the fire, saying:
"I burn you lest I be burnt by you."" According to
St. Gregory, he who wishes to be united with God must
detach himself from relatives.5 Otherwise, as Peter de
Blois says, the love of flesh and blood will soon deprive
us of the love of God.6 It is difficult to find Jesus
Christ in the midst of relatives. " How shall I," says
St. Bonaventure, "find Thee, O Jesus ! among my rela
tives, since Thou wert not found among Thine?"7
When the divine mother, after having found Jesus in
1 " Fugiamus illorum curam tamquam diabolicam." — Const. Alon.
c. 21.
2 " Propter patrem, militiam Christ! deseram ?"
3 " Quid facis in paterna domo, delicate miles? Ubi vallum? ubi
fossa? Licet in limine pater jaceat, per calcatum perge patrem,
siccis oculis ad vexillum Crucis evola. Solum pietatis genus est in
hac re, ess^ crudelem." — Ep. ad Heliod.
4 "Comburo vos, ne comburar a vobis." — Ad Fr. in er. s. 40.
5 " Extra cognates quisque debet fieri, si vult Parenti omnium
verius jungi." — Mor. 1. 7, c. 18.
6 " Carnalis amor extra Dei amorem cito te capiet." — Ep. 134.
7 " Quomodo te, bone Jesu, inter meos cognates inveniam, qu
inter tuos minime es invcntus?" — Spec. Disc. p. i, c. 23.
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 357
the temple, said to him: Son, why hast Thou done so to
us?1 the Redeemer answered: How is it that you sought
Me ? did you not know that I must be about My Father's
business?'*' Such should be the answer of a priest to his
relatives when they wish to charge him with the care of
his family. I am a priest; I can attend only to the
things of God; to you who are seculars it belongs to
mind the things of the world. It was this our Lord
wished to signify to the young man whom he called to
follow him, when, in answer to the young man's re
quest to be permitted to bury his father, he said: Let
the dead bury the dead?
4. SELF-WILL.
It is necessary, above all, to remove attachment to
self-will. St. Philip Neri used to say that sanctity con
sists in the mortification of self-will. Blosius has as
serted that he who mortifies self-will does an act more
pleasing to God than if he gave life to the dead.4 Hence
many priests and pastors, and even bishops, who led
exemplary lives, and devoted their time and labor to
the salvation of souls, not content with all this, have
entered religion in order to live under obedience to
others; believing — what is really the truth — that they
could not offer to God a sacrifice more acceptable than
the renunciation of their own will. All are not called
to the religious state; but he who wishes to walk in the
way of perfection (besides the obedience due to his prel
ate) must submit his will to the direction of at least a
spiritual Father, who will guide him in all his spiritual
exercises, and also in temporal affairs of importance,
1 " Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic?"
2 "Quid est quod me quaerebatis ? nesciebatis quia, in his quae
Patris mei sunt, oportet me esse?" — Luke, ii. 49.
3 " Dimitte mortuos sepelire mortuos suos." — Matth. viii. 22.
4 " Acceptius obsequium homo prsestat Deo, suam voluntatem mor-
t.ificans, quam si mortuos ad vitam revocaret." — Sac. an. p. i, § 5..
358 Material for Instructions. [PART H.
which are connected with the sanctification of his soul.
What is done through self-will is of little or no advan
tage to the soul.
In the day of your fast your own will is found? Hence
St. Bernard has written: "A great evil is self-will,
which causes the good that you do not to be good
to you."2 The greatest enemy we have is self-will.
" Let self-will cease," says the same St. Bernard, " and
there will be no longer a hell." ; Hell is full of self-will.
What but our own will is the cause of our sins ? St.
Augustine confessed of himself that he was impelled by
grace to forsake sin, but he remained in it bound by no
other chain than that of his own will.4 St. Bernard
teaches that self-will is so opposed to God that were
his destruction possible it would destroy him.5 He,
says the same saint, who becomes his own disciple, be
comes the disciple of a fool.6
It is necessary to understand that all our good con
sists in a union with the divine will. And life in his good
will? But, ordinarily speaking, God makes his will
known to us only through our Superiors, that is, through
our prelate or director. He that heareth you, says Jesus
Christ, heareth Me ;8 and he adds: despiseth you, dcspiseth
Me? Hence in the Scripture not to submit to the
1 " In die jejunii vestri, invenitur voluntas vestra." — Isa. Iviii. 3.
2 " Grande malum, propria voluntas, qua fit ut bona tua tibi bona
non sint." — In Cant. s. 71.
3 "Cesset voluntas propria, et infernus nonerit." — In Temp. Pasch.
s. 3.
4 " Ligatus, non ferro alieno, sed mea ferrea voluntate." — Conf. 1.
8, c. 5.
5 "Quantum in ipsa est, Deum perimit propria voluntas." — In
Temp. Pasch. s. 3.
6 " Qui se sibi magistrum constituit, stulto se discipulum subdit." —
Ep. 87.
7 " Et vita in voluntate ejus." — Ps. xxix. 6.
8 "Qui vos audit, me audit." — Luke, x. 16.
9 " Et qui. vos spernit, me spernit.."
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 35.9
authority of Superiors is called a species of idolatry.
Because it is like the sin of witchcraft to rebel? But, on the
other hand, St. Bernard assures us that in whatever our
spiritual Father directs us, unless it be certainly sinful,
we should feel as secure as if God himself had spoken to
us.2
Happy he who can say at death with the Abbot John:
" I have never done my own will, and never taught any
thing that I did not do myself."1 Hence Cassian, who
relates this fact, has written that by the mortification of
self-will all vices are destroyed.4 And before him the
Wise Man said: An obedient man shall speak of victory?
And in another place: Obedience is better than sacrifices!'
For he who offers to God the sacrifice of alms, fasts,
penitential works, sacrifices to him only a part of him
self; but he who gives God his will by subjecting it to
obedience, gives all that he is able to give, and can say
to him: Lord, having given you my will, I have nothing
more to give you. Hence St. Laurence Justinian has
written that they who offer the sacrifice of self-will to
God shall obtain from him whatever they ask.7 And
God himself has promised those who renounce self-will
that he will raise them above the earth, and make them
celestial men. If thou turn away thy foot . . . from
1 " Quasi scelus idololatrise, nolle acquiescere."— i Kings, xv. 23.
2 " Quidquid, vice Dei, praecipit homo, quod non sit tamen certum
displicere Deo, baud secus omnino accipiendum est, quam si prae-
cipiat Deus." — De Prccc. et Disp. c. 9.
3 " Nunquam meam feci voluntatem; nee quemquam docui, quod
prius ipse non feci."
4 " Mortificatione voluntatum marcescunt universa vitia." — De
Catnob. inst. 1. 4, c. 28-43.
5 " Vir obediens loquetur victoriam." — Prov. xxi. 28.
6 " Melior est enim obedientia quam victimae." — I Kings, xv. 22.
7 " Sicut seipsum Deo tradidit, voluntatem propriam immolando,
sic a Deo, omne quod poposcerit, consequetur." — Lign. v. de Obe.d.
c. 3.
360 Material for Instructions. [PART 11.
doing thy own will, . . . / will lift thee up above the high
places of the earth.1
5. MEANS OF CONQUERING SELF-WILL.
The means of conquering self-will and of subduing all
irregular passions are the following:
1. Prayer: he who prays, obtains all graces. " Though
prayer is but one, it can do all things," 2 says St. Bona-
venture. And before him Jesus Christ said: You shall
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you?
2. To do violence to self with a determined will. A
resolute will surmounts all difficulties.
3. To make our examen on the passion that molests
us, and to impose a penance on ourselves as often as we
yield to it.
4. To indulge in a multitude of desires. " I," said St.
Francis de Sales,4 " desire but few things, and my desire
for them is not strong."
5. To practise mortification in small things, and even
in things that are not sinful; for thus we shall acquire a
facility of overcoming great difficulties. For example,
by abstaining from certain jests, by not indulging
curiosity, not pulling a flower, not opening letters for
some time after we receive them, by giving up certain
undertakings, making a sacrifice of them to God, re
gardless of the honor that they might procure for us.
What advantage do we now derive from so many grati
fications ? from so many successful undertakings? Had
we been mortified on such occasions, how many merits
should we now have treasured up before God ! Hence
forth let us labor to gain something for eternity. Let
1 " Si averteris . . . facere voluntatem tuam, . . . sustollam te
super altitudines terrse." — Isa. Iviii. 13.
2 " Oratio, cum sit una, omnia potest."
1 " Quodcumque volueritis, petetis, et fiet vobis." — John, xv. 7.
INSTR. vni. i Interior Mortification. 361
us reflect that we are drawing near the grave. The
more we mortify ourselves the less we shall suffer in
purgatory, and the greater the glory that we shall merit
for eternity in heaven. On this earth we are only in
passage: we shall soon be in eternity. I conclude with
the words of St. Philip Neri: " Foolish is the man who
does not become a saint."
362 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
INSTRUCTION IX.
EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION.
I.
Necessity of Exterior Mortification.
ST. GREGORY says that no man is fit to be a minister of
God, and to offer the sacrifice of the altar, unless he has
first sacrificed himself entirely to God.1 And St. Am
brose writes: " This is the primitive sacrifice, that every
one offers himself first to God, in order afterwards to be
able to offer his gift." 2 And long before, the Redeemer
said: Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die,
itself remaineth alone* He, then, who wishes to bring
forth fruits of eternal life, must die to himself; that is,
he must desire nothing for his own satisfaction, and, as
St. Gregory has written, he must embrace all that is
mortifying to the flesh.4 He who is dead to himself
must, according to Lanspergius, live in the world as if
he saw nothing, heard nothing; as if nothing disturbed
and as if nothing gave him content but God. For, says
Jesus Christ, he that will save his life shall lose it? Happy
1 " Nullus Deo et Sacrificio dignus est, nisi qui prius se viventem
hostiam exhibuerit." — Apolog. I.
2 " Hoc est sacrificium primitivum, quando unusquisqne se offert
hostiam, ut postea munus suum possit offerre." — DC Cain ct Ab. 1. 2,
c. 6.
3 "Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram mortuum fuerit, ipsum
solum manet; si autem mortuum fuerit, multum fructum affert."-
John, xii. 24.
4 " Nihil quod caro blanditur, libeat; nihil quod carnalem vitam
trucidat, spiritus perhorrescat." — In Evang. honi. n.
5 " Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere, perdet earn; qui
autem perdiderit animam suam propter me, inveniet earn," — Matth..
xvi. 25.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 363
loss, exclaims St. Hilary, when everything in this world,
and even life itself, is lost in order to follow Jesus Christ
and to gain eternal glory.1 St. Bernard says that were
there no other reason for giving ourselves entirely to
God, it would be enough to know that God has given
himself entirely to us.2 But to give ourselves to God
without reserve, it is necessary to banish from the* heart
every earthly desire. " Wherever charity is augmented,"
says St. Augustine, " there cupidity is diminished. Free
dom from all cupidity is perfection."1 He who least
desires the goods of the earth, loves God most; he who
desires nothing, loves God perfectly.
In the preceding instruction we have spoken of in
terior mortification: we shall now speak of external
mortification, or the mortification of the senses. This
species of mortification is also necessary, because on
account of sin our flesh wars, as the Apostle said of
himself, against reason, and is an enemy to our salva
tion: I see another law in my members, fighting against the
law of my mind? " That is," says St. Thomas in his
comment on this passage, " the concupiscence of the flesh
that is struggling with reason." '' It is necessary to
understand that the soul must bring the body under
subjection, or the body will trample on the soul. God
has given us senses that we employ them, not as we
please, but as he directs; hence we must mortify the
desires that are contrary to the divine law.
They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with the
1 " Jactura felix! contemptu universorum, Christus sequendus est, et
aeternitas comparanda." — In Matth. can. 16.
2 " Integrum te da illi, quia ille, ut te salvaret, integrum se tradidit."
— De Modo bene. viv. c. 8.
3 " Nutrimentum charitatis est imminutio cupiditatis; perfectio, nulla
cupiditas." — De div. qucest. q. 36.
4 "Video autem aliam legem in membris meis, repugnantem legi
mentis mese." — Rom. vii. 23.
5 " Id est concupiscentia carnis contrarians rationi."
364 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
vices and concupiscences. Hence the saints have been so
careful to macerate the flesh. St. Peter of Alcantara
purposed never to give any indulgence to the body, and
observed his resolution till death. St. Bernard mal
treated his body to such a degree, that at death he asked
its pardon. St. Teresa used to say that "it would be
silliness to imagine that God admits to his friendship
persons who seek their own ease and convenience;"3
and in another place she says: "Souls that truly love
God cannot ask for comforts." ! And St. Ambrose has
written that he who does not cease to indulge the
body shall cease to please God.4 According to St.
Augustine, he who subjects reason to. the flesh is a mon
ster that walks with his head downwards and his feet
upwards.5 We are born for a more noble end than to
be the slaves of the body, said the pagan Seneca.6 How
much more should we say it, who know by faith that
we have been created to enjoy God for eternity? St.
Gregory says that by gratifying the desires of the flesh
we only nourish enemies.7
St. Ambrose weeps over the misfortune of Solomon,
saying that this unhappy king had the glory of building
the temple of God, but that it would have been far bet
ter for him to preserve to God the temple of his body,
for the gratification of which he lost his body, his soul,
and his God.8 A man mounted on a furious horse must
1 " Qui autem sunt Christi, carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis et
concupiscentiis." — Gal. v. 24.
2 Way of Per f. ch. 19. 3 Foundat. ch. 5.
4 " Qui nori peregrinatur a corpora, peregrinatur a Domino." — In
L^lc. c. 9.
5 "Inversis pedibus ambulat." — Ad Fr. in er. s. 50.
6 ' ' Major sum et ad majora genitus, quam ut mancipium sim mei
corporis." — Ep. 65.
1 " Dum (carni) parcimus, ad praelium hostem nutrimus." — Mor. 1.
30, c. 28.
8 "Salomon templum Deo condidit; sed utinam corporis templum
pse servasset!" — Apol. David. 1. 2,
INSTR. ix] Exterior Mortification. 365
always keep the reins tight: it is thus we must treat the
body. St. Bernard says that we ought to treat the flesh
as a physician treats a patient who seeks what is noxious
and refuses what is conducive to health. Were a phy
sician, in order to please a sick man, to give him what
should cause his death, would he not be guilty of
cruelty? And in like manner, let us be persuaded that
to indulge the body is not charity, but the greatest act
of cruelty we can commit against ourselves; because,
for a momentary indulgence of the flesh, we condemn
the soul to an eternity of torments. Such is th&language
of St. Bernard: " Such a charity destroys charity; such
mercy is full of cruelty; for in such a manner the body
is served, but the soul is destroyed."1 In a word, we
must change our palate, and follow the admonition of
our Lord to St. Francis: "If you desire -me, take what
is bitter as sweets, and what is sweet as bitter."
Let us now attend to the fruits of external mortifica
tion.
First, it satisfies for the pains due to the pleasures in
which we have indulged: these pains are far milder in
this than in the next life. St. Antonine relates that an
angel proposed to a sick man the choice of remaining
three days in purgatory, or of being confined for two
years to his bed by the infirmity under which he labored.
The sick man chose the three days in purgatory; but he
was scarcely an hour there when he began to complain
to the angel that his purgatory, instead of continuing
for three days, had lasted for several years. What! re
plied the angel, your body is still warm on the bed of*
death, and you speak of years! " If you do not wish to
be punished," says St. John Chrysostom, " be your own
judge — chastise and amend yourself."2
1 " Ista charitas destruit charitatem; talis misericordia crudelitate
plena est, qua ita corpori servitur, utanima juguletur." — Apol. ad GuilL
c.8
2 " Non vis castigari; sis judex tui ipsius, te reprehende et corrige."
366 Material for Instriictions. [PART n.
Secondly, mortification detaches the soul from earthly
pleasures, and gives her a facility of flying to God, and
of uniting herself with him. St. Francis de .Sales used
to say that " if the flesh is not mortified and depressed,
the soul will never be able to raise herself up to God."
St. Jerome has said the same: "Only by mortification
can the soul rise to heavenly things."
Thirdly, penance merits for us eternal goods, as St.
Peter of Alcantara revealed from heaven to St. Teresa,
saying: " O happy penance that has merited for me so
much glory!"2
Hence the saints have endeavored to mortify the flesh
continually, and to the best of their ability. St. Francis
Borgia said that he would die without consolation on
any day on which he had not mortified his body by
some penitential work. A life of ease and pleasure on
this earth cannot be the life of a Christian.
II.
Practice of Exterior Mortification.
If we have not fervor to mortify the body by great
penances, let us at least practise some little mortifica
tions: let us bear with patience the pains that happen
to us. For example, let us submit in peace to the in
convenience, the want of sleep, the disagreeable smell
that we feel in attending the dying, to the annoyance
we experience in going to hear the confessions of per
sons confined in prison, in hearing the confessions of
the poor and the ignorant, and to similar occasions of
pain or trouble. Let us at least deprive ourselves from
time to time of some lawful pleasure. Clement of
Alexandria says: "Whoever does everything that is
allowed will soon do what is not allowed." : He who
" Anima in coelestia non surgit, nisi mortificatione membrorum."
2 " O felix poenitenda, qua; tantam mihi promeruit gloriani!"
3 " Cito adducuntur, ut ea faciant quae non licent, qui faciunt omnia
quae licent." — Picdag. 1. 2, c. I.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 367
wishes to indulge in all gratifications that are in them
selves lawful, will not abstain long from unlawful
pleasures. That great servant of God, Vincent Carafa,
of the Society of Jesus, used to say that God has given
us earthly goods not only for our delight, but also that
we might have a means of showing our gratitude to him
by abstaining from pleasures, and giving him back his
own gifts in proof of our love; for, as St. Gregory
writes,1 he who is accustomed to renounce lawful grati
fications easily abstains from forbidden pleasures.
Let us speak of the mortifications of the senses, that
we can practise, and especially of the mortifications of
the eyes, the taste, and the touch.
i. THE EYES AND THE WHOLE EXTERIOR.
First, it is necessary to mortify the eyes. " Through
the eyes," says St. Bernard, " the dart of impure love
enters the heart."2 The first darts that wound, and
sometimes kill, the chaste soul, enter through the eyes.3
By means of the eyes bad thoughts spring up in the
mind. " What is not seen," says St. Francis de Sales,
"is not desired." Hence the devil first tempts a person
to look, then to desire, and afterwards to consent. Thus
he acted with the Saviour himself: He showed Him all
the kingdoms of the world. He then tempted him, saying:
All these will I give Thee, if falling down Thou wilt adore
me* The evil spirit gained nothing by tempting Jesus
Christ, but by thus tempting Eve he gained a great
deal: She saw that the tree was good to cat, and fair to the
eyes, . . . and she took of the fruit thereof* etc.
1 Dial. 1. 4, c. II.
2 "Per oculos intrat ad mentem sagitta amoris." — De Modo bene
viv. s. 23.
8 " Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam." — Lam. iii. 51.
4 " Haec omnia tibi dabo, si cadens adoraverisme." — Matth. iv. 9.
5 " Vidit igitur mulier quod bonum esset lignum ad vescendum, et
pulchrum oculis, aspectuque delectabile; et tulit de fructu iliius, et
comedit." — Gen. iii. 6.
368 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
Tertullian says that certain little glances are the be
ginnings of the greatest iniquities.1 And St. Jerome
compares the eyes to certain hooks, which drag us, as
it were, by force to sin.2 He who wishes not to admit
the enemy into the fortress, should lock the gate. The
Abbot Pastor was molested by bad thoughts for forty
years after having looked at a woman. In consequence
of having seen a woman in the world, St. Benedict was
afterwards so strongly tempted, that to conquer the
flesh he threw himself naked among thorns, and thus
overcame the temptations. While he lived in the cave
of Bethlehem, St. Jerome was for a long time troubled
with bad thoughts on account of having formerly seen
certain women in Rome. These saints conquered temp
tations by the divine aid, by prayers and penitential
works; but many others, on account of the eyes, have
miserably fallen. On account of the eyes a David fell;
on account of the eyes a Solomon fell. Listen to an
alarming fact related by St. Augustine of Alipius. He
went to the theatre, resolved not to look at any danger
ous object, saying, " I will be absent though present;"5
but being tempted to look, he, says the saint, not only
prevaricated, but also made others prevaricate: "He
opened his eyes, applauded, became excited, and left the
theatre carrying sin with him."^
Seneca justly said that blindness is a great help to
preserve innocence.5 It is not lawful to pull out our
eyes, but we ought to make ourselves blind by closing
the eyes, and by not looking at objects which may im
pel us to evil: He . . . that shutteth his eyes that he may
1 " Exordia sunt maximarum iniquitatum."
2 " Oculi, quasi quidam raptores ad culpam." — In Lam. 3.
3 " Adero absens."
" Spectavit, clamavit, exarsit; abstulit inde secum insaniam." —
Conf. 1. 6, c. 8.
6 " Pars innocentiae, caecitas." — DC Rented, fort.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 369
see no evil, he shall dwell on high.1 Hence Job said that
he had made a covenant with his eyes never to look at
a woman, lest he should be afterwards molested by bad
thoughts: / made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not
so much as think upon a virgin?1 St. Aloysius Gonzaga
never dared to raise his eyes to look at his mother. St.
Peter of Alcantara abstained from looking even at his
brothers in religion: he knew them not by the sight, but
by the voice.
The Council of Tours tells priests that they should
guard against everything that can offend the eyes or the
ears.3 But particular caution is necessary for secular
priests, who frequent public places, or the houses of
seculars. If they permit the eye to look at every object
that is presented to them, they shall scarcely preserve
chastity. Turn away thy face, says the Holy Ghost,
from a woman dressed up, . . . for many have perished by
the beauty of a woman.1' And, says St. Augustine, should
the eyes happen sometimes to fall on a woman, let us
take care never to fix them on her.5 Hence it is neces
sary to abstain from going to balls, or profane come
dies, which are frequented by men and women; and
when through necessity a priest is obliged to go to a
place in which there are women, he must pay special
attention to modesty of the eyes. Father Alvarez was
once present at a public degradation of a priest, but be
cause there were women present, he held in his hand an
1 " Qui claudit oculos suos ne videat malum, iste in excelsis habi-
tabit." — Is a. xxxiii. 15.
J " Pepigi foedus cum oculis meis, ut ne cogitarem quidem de vir-
gine." — Job, xxxi. i.
3"Ab omnibus quaecunque ad aurium ct ad oculorum pertinent
illecebras, Dei Sacerdotes abstinere debent." — Anno 813, can. 7.
' ' Averte faciem tuam a muliere compta, et ne circumspicias speciem
alienam; propter speciem mulieris, multi perierunt." — Ecclns. ix. 8.
5 " Oculi vestri, etsi jaciuntur in aliquam, figantur in nullam." — Reg.
ad serv. D . n. 6.
24
370 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
image of the Blessed Virgin, on which he kept his eyes
constantly fixed for several hours, lest they might fall
on a woman. From the moment we awake in the morn
ing, let us pray with David: Turn away my eyes, that they
may not behold vanity.1
Oh! how profitable is it to us ecclesiastics, and how
edifying to others, to keep the eyes cast down! St.
Francis once said to his companion, that he wished to
go out in order to preach a sermon: he went out and
walked through the village with his eyes fixed on the
ground. After they had returned, his companion asked
when he intended to preach the sermon. The saint re
plied: We have already preached by the modesty with
which we walked before the people. A certain author
remarks that the Evangelists, in order to show that he
ordinarily kept them cast down, mention in several
places that our Redeemer raised his eyes: Lifting iip His
eyes on His disciples? When Jesus had lifted up His eyes?
Hence St. Paul has praised the modesty of Jesus Christ,
saying: I beseech you by the mildness and mode sty of Christ?
St. Basil says that we should keep the eyes cast down
upon the earth and the soul raised up to heaven.5 And
St. Jerome has written, that the countenance is the mir
ror of the soul, and that chaste eyes indicate a chaste
heart." But, on the other hand, St. Augustine says:
"The immodesty of the eyes betrays the vices of the
heart." 7 St. Ambrose adds, that the motions of the body
1 " Averte oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem." — Ps. cxviii. 37.
2 " Elevatis oculis in discipulos suos." — Lttke, vi. 20.
3 "Cum sublevasset ergo oculos Jesus."— John., vi. 5.
4 " Obsecro vos per mansuetudinem et modestiam Christi." — 2 Cor.
x. i.
5 " Oportet oculos habere ad terram dejectas, animam vero ad cce-
lum erectam." — Scrm. de A see si.
6 " Speculum mentis est fades, et taciti oculi cordis fatentur arcana."
— Ep . ad Fu ria m .
1 " Impudicus oculus irnpudici cordis est nuntius." — J?eg. ad serv.
D. n. 6.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 3 7 1
show the recollection or dissipation of the soul.1 Hence
the saint relates that ,he foreboded the fall of two men
on account of the irregularity of their gait. The pre
diction was verified; for one fell into impiety, and the
other into heresy. Speaking especially of men whose
character is sacred, St. Jerome says that their actions,
language, and gesture are a lesson for seculars.2
The Council of Trent has said: " They ought by all
means so to regulate their whole life and conversation,
as that in their dress, comportment, gait, discourse, and
all things else, nothing appear but what is grave, regu
lated, and replete with religiousness."2 And St. John
Chrysostom has written: " The mind of the priest should
be resplendent with virtues, that it may enlighten those
that look up to him." ' Thus the priest ought to give
to all an example of modesty in all things: modesty in
looks, modesty in his gait, modesty in his conversation,
particularly by saying little, and by speaking as a priest
ought to speak. By saying little. — He who speaks much
to men, shows that he converses but little with God.
Men of prayer are men of few words. When the mouth
of the furnace is opened, the heat rushes out. " In
silence," says Thomas a Kempis, " the soul maketh prog
ress." 5 And St. Peter Damian calls silence the guardian
of justice." We read in Isaias: In silence and in hope
shall your strength be."1 In silence consists our strength,
1 " Vox quaedam est animi, corporis motus." — Offic. 1. I, c. 18.
'2 "Quorum habitus, sermo, vultus, incessus, doctrina virtutum est."
— Ep. ad Rusticum.
3 " Sic decet omnino clericos vitam moresque suos componere, ut
habitu, gestu, incessu, nil nisi grave ac religione plenum prse se fer-
ant." — Sess. 22, de Ref. c. i.
4 " Sacerdotis animum splendescere oportet, ut illustrare possit,
qui oculos in eum conjiciunt." — De Sacei'd. 1. 3.
5 " In silentio proficit anima." — De Imit. 1. i, c. 20.
6 " Gustos justitiae, silentium." — Ep. 1. 7, ep. 6.
7 " In silentio et in spe erit fortitude vestra." — Isa. xxx. 15.
372 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
for in speaking much there is always some defect. In
the multitude of words there shall not want sin, says Solo
mon.1 By speaking as a priest ought to speak, St.
Anselm says, " Thy mouth must be the mouth of Christ:
and thou shouldst not only not open it for calumnies or
lies, but not even for idle discourse."2 He who loves
God seeks to speak always of God. He who loves a
fellow-man can scarcely speak of anything else than of
him. " Forget not," says Gilbert, " that thy mouth is
consecrated only to heavenly sayings, and look upon
it as sacrilegious if something comes forth from it that
is not divine."3 It is, according to St. Ambrose, a
violation of modesty to speak in a very loud tone.4 It
belongs to modesty to abstain, not only from immodest
words, but also from listening to them: Hedge in thy
ears with thorns, hear not a wicked tongue? A priest should
be modest also in his dress. St. Augustine says that
in order to appear well dressed exteriorly, some strip
themselves of interior modesty.6 Vanity and costliness
of dress in a priest show that there is but little virtue
in the soul. St. Bernard writes: " The poor cry out to
thee: To us belongs what you waste; from our neces
sities is withdrawn what you bestow upon vanities."
In the i6th Canon of the second Council of Nice we
1 " In multiloquio non deerit peccatum." — Prov. x. 19.
* " Os tuum, os Christi; non debes, non dico, ad detractiones, ad
mendacia, sed nee ad otiosos sermones os aperire." — Medit. i, § 5.
3 "Memento, os tuum coelestibus oraculis consecratum; sacrilegium
puta, si quid non divinum sonet." — In Cant. s. 18.
4 " Vocis sonum libret modestia, ne cujusquam offendat aurem vox
fortior." — Offic. 1. i, c. 18.
6 " Sepi aures tuas spinis, linguam nequam noli audire." — Ecchis.
xxviii. 28.
6 " Ut foris vestiaris, intus exspoliaris." — Sertn. 60, E, B.
1 " Clamant nudi, etdicunt: Nostrum est, quod effunditis; nostris
necessitatibus detrahitur, quidquid accedit vanitatibus vestris." — De
Mor. et Off. Ep. c. 2.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 373
read: "A priest should wear simple garments, for what
goes beyond what is necessary is luxury, and this vanity
will be imputed to him as a crime." The priest ought
to be modest in his hair. Pope Martin ordained that
ecclesiastics should not minister in the church unless
their head was shorn so that the ears would be visible.2
What shall we say of those whom Clement of Alex
andria calls " illiberales tonsos," 3 that is, persons who
are so much attached to their hair that they allow it to
be cut only sparingly. What a shame, says St. Cyprian,
for an ecclesiastic to appear with his head decked out
like the head of a woman.4 And before him the Apos
tle, in his epistle to the Corinthians, said, that to
nourish the hair is as disgraceful in a man as it is be
coming in a woman: A man indeed if he nourish his hair,
it is a shame unto him? And this he said of all, even of
seculars. What, then, must we think of the ecclesiastic
who curls his hair and arranges it in a worldly fashion ?
Minutius Felix says that we ought to show ourselves
to be ecclesiastics, not by the ornaments of the body,
but by examples of modesty.6 St. Ambrose has writ
ten, that the deportment of a priest should be such
that all who behold him may be inspired with reverence
for God, whose priest and minister he is.7 But, on the
1 "Virum sacerdotalem cum moderate indumento versari debere;
et quidquid, non propter usum, sed ostentatorium ornatum, assumi-
tur, in nequitise reprehensionem incurrere." — Can. 16.
2 " Nisi attonso capite, patentibus auribus."
3 " Illiberali tonsu se tondentes." — Padag. 1. 3, c. 3.
4 " Capillis muliebribus se in feminas transfigurant. " — DC Jej. ct
Tent. Christi.
5<<Vir quidem, si comam nutriat, ignominia est illi." — i Cor. xi.
14.
6 " Nos, non notaculo corporis, sed innocentiae ac modestise signo,
facile dignoscimus." — Octav. c. 9.
7 " Decet actuum nostrorum esse publicam aestimationem, ut, qui
videt ministrum altaris congruis ornatum virtutibus, Dominum vene-
retur, qui tales servulos habeat." — Ojfic. 1. i, c. 50.
3 74 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
other hand, a priest who violates modesty excites
irreverence towards God.
2. THE TASTE OR APPETITE.
We shall now speak on the mortification of the taste
or of the appetite. In his treatise entitled The One
Thing Necessary, Father Rogacci says, that the principal
part of external mortification consists in the mortification
of the appetite. Hence St. Andrew Avellino used to
say, that he who wishes to walk in the way of perfection
must begin to mortify the taste. St. Leo asserts that
this has been the practice of the saints.1 To a penitent
who practised but little mortification St. Philip Neri
said, " My son, unless you mortify the appetite you shall
never become a saint."2 St. Francis Xavier used to eat
nothing but a few grains of toasted rice. St. John
Francis Regis took only a little coarse flower boiled in
water. St. Francis Borgia, even when a secular, and
viceroy of Catalonia, was content with bread and herbs.
The food of St. Peter of Alcantara was nothing more
than a small quantity of broth.
St. Francis de Sales says that we ought to eat in order
to support life, and not live for the purpose of eating.
Some appear to live for the sole purpose of eating, mak
ing, as the Apostle said, the belly their God: They are
enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose
God is their belly? Tertullian says that the vice of
gluttony kills, or at least inflicts a deep wound, on all
other virtues.4 The sin of gluttony has caused the ruin
1 " Tyrocinium militise christianae sanctis jejuniis inchoarunt." — DC
Jejun. Pent. s. i.
2 Bacci, 1. 2, ch. 14.
3 " Inimicos crucis Christi, quorum finis interitus, quorum deus
venter est." — Phil. iii. 18.
4 " Omnem disciplinam victus aut occidit aut vulnerat." — De Je-
iunio.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 375
of the world: for the sake of eating an apple, Adam
brought death on himself and the entire human race.
But priests, who are bound by a vow of chastity,
should pay special attention to the mortification of the
appetite. St. Bonaventure says that excess in eating
nourishes impurity.1 And St. Augustine has written:
" If the soul is weighed down by too much food, the
mind becomes torpid, and there will spring up thorns of
wicked desires," 2 Hence in the forty-second Canon of
the Apostles we read: "Those priests are to be deposed
that are given excessively to good cheer." ; The Wise
Man has said, that he who accustoms servants to deli
cate food shall not find them obedient to his commands:
He that nourishes a servant delicately from his childhood,
afterwards shall find him stubborn* St. Augustine exhorts
us not to give the flesh strength to fight against the
soul.* Palladius relates that a certain monk being asked
why he treated his body so badly, said: " I trouble him
that troubles me."6 St. Paul has done and said the
same. / chastise my body, and bring it into subjection.'' If
the flesh is not mortified, it obeys reason only with diffi
culty. But, on the other hand, according to St. Thomas,
the devil, when vanquished in his temptations to the in
dulgence of the appetite, ceases to tempt to impurity.8
Cornelius a Lapide says that when intemperance is
1 " Luxuria nutritur a ventris ingluvie." — De Prof. rel. 1. 2, c. 52.
2 " Si ciborum nimietate anima obruatur, illico mens torpescit, et
corporis nostri terra spinas libidinum germinabit." — Serm. 141, E. B.
app.
3 " Sacerdotes qui intemperanter ingurgitant, deponendi sunt."
4 " Qui delicate a pueritia nutrit servum suum, postea sentiet eum
contumacem." — Prov. xxix. 21.
5 " Ne praebeamus vires corpori, ne committat bellum adversus
spiritum." — DC Sal. docum. c. 35.
6 " Vexo eum qui vexat me " — Vit. S. M. c. 7.
7 " Castigo corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo." — I Cor. ix. 27.
8 " Diabolus, victus de gula, non tentat de libidine."
376 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
overcome, all other vices are easily conquered.' Blosius
remarks that many find it easier to conquer other vices
than the vice of intemperance.2
But some may say God has purposely created the
various kinds of food that we may enjoy them. I
answer, God has created them that they may serve for
the support of life, but not to be abused by intemper
ance. There are some delicious meats that are not neces
sary for the support of life; these God has created, that
by sometimes abstaining from them we may practise
mortification. God created the apple that he forbade
Adam to eat, that Adam might abstain from it. Let us
at least practise temperance in the use of delicacies.
To practise temperance, St. Bonaventure says that
we must avoid four things: first, eating out of the time
of meals, as animals do; secondly, eating with too much
avidity, like famished dogs; thirdly, eating too large a
quantity, of food; and fourthly, we must avoid too much
delicacy.3 What a shame to see a priest seeking a
variety of meats, dressed in various ways, and giving
trouble and annoyance to servants, and to the whole
house, when everything is not prepared so as to please
his taste. Fervent priests are satisfied with what is
placed before them.
Reflect on the words of St. Jerome: " The cleric can
not easily escape contempt if he frequently accepts
invitations to dinner."' Hence exemplary priests fly
1 " Gula debellata, christianus facilius caeteravitia profligabit." — In
I Cor. ix. 2J.
2 " Ingluvies a plerisque superari difficilius solet, quam caetera
vitia." — Enchir. parv. 1. i, doc. n.
3 " i. Ante debitum tempus, vel saepius quam deceat, comedere,
praeter necessitatem, more pecudum. 2. Cum nimia aviditate, sicut
canes famelici. 3. Nimis se implere ex delectatione. 4. Nimis ex-
quisita quaerere." — De Prof. rcl. 1. i, c. 36.
4 " Facile contemnitur clericus qui, saepe vocatus ad prandium, ire
non recusat." — Ep. ad Ntpot,
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 377
from banquets, in which, ordinarily speaking, there is a
want of modesty and of temperance. " Lay people," '
adds the holy Doctor, " would rather enjoy our consola
tions in their trials than our presence at their ban
quets." '
3. THE TOUCH.
Thirdly, with regard to the sense of touch, it is neces
sary, in the first place, to abstain from familiarity with
persons of the opposite sex, even though they are rela
tives. You will say: They are my sisters, my nieces;
yes, but they are women.
With regard to this sense (which is very dangerous
for priests), they must use all possible caution and mod
esty with themselves. Everyone of you, says St. Paul,
should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and
honor, . . . not in the passion of lust?
Holy priests are accustomed to practise some painful
penitential works, such as the discipline, or the use of
little chains. Some despise these things, saying that
sanctity consists in the mortification of the will. But I
find that all the saints have thirsted after penitential
austerities, and have sought to macerate the flesh to the
utmost of their power. St. Peter of Alcantara wore a
hair-shirt of punched iron, which kept his shoulders
constantly lacerated. St. John of the Cross wore a
waistcoat armed with iron points, and an iron chain,
which could not be removed after his death without
taking with it a piece of the flesh. This saint used to
say that a person who should teach lax doctrine re
garding the mortification of the flesh ought not to be
believed, even though he confirmed it by miracles.3
1 " Consolatores nos potius (laici) in moeroribus suis, quam con-
vivas in prosperis, noverint."
2 " Sciat unusquisque vestrum vas suum possidere in sanctificatione
et honore, non in passione desiderii." — I J^hess. iv. 4.
3 Sent. 72.
3 78 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
It is true that interior mortification is the most neces
sary; but exterior mortification is also indispensable.
To a person who wished to dissuade him from macer
ating his body, by saying that sanctity consists in con
quering self-will, St. Aloysius Gonzaga replied, in the
words of the Gospel: These things you ought to have done,
and not leave those undone.1 To Mother Mary of Jesus,
of the Order of St. Teresa, our Lord said the world is
destroyed not by penitential works, but by pleasures.
" Mortify your body and you will conquer the devil
says St. Augustine.2 The remedy of the saints, particu
larly in temptations against purity, was the maceration
of the flesh. In temptations contrary to chastity, St.
Benedict and St. Francis rolled themselves among
thorns. Father Rodriguez says, " If a person had en
twined round him a serpent, which by its poisoned
bites would seek to kill him, surely if he could not take
away its life he would at least endeavor to draw its
blood and diminish its strength, in order to render it
less able to injure him."
Job tells us that wisdom is not found among earthly
delights: Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it
found in the land of them that live in delights* In one
place the Spouse in the Canticles said that he dwells
on the mountain of myrrh: / will go to the mountain of
myrrh;* and in another, that he feeds among the lilies:
Who feedeth among the lilies? In reconciling these two
passages, Philibert says that on the mountain of myrrh,
where the flesh is mortified, the lilies of purity spring
1 " Haec oportuit facere, et ilia non omittere." — Matth. xxiii. 23.
2 " Mortifica corpus tuum, et diabolum vinces."
3 " Nescit homo pretium ejus, nee invenitrr in terra suaviter viven-
tium."— Job, xxviii. 13.
4 " Vadam ad montem myrrhae." — Cant. iv. 6.
6 " Qui pascitur inter lilia." — Cant. ii. 16.
INSTR. ix.j Exterior Mortification. 379
up and flourish.1 Should a person have ever violated
chastity, reason requires that he should afterwards
chastise the flesh: For as you have yielded your members to
serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield
your members to serve justice unto sanctification?
4. INVOLUNTARY MORTIFICATIONS.
If we have not courage to mortify the flesh by works
of penance, let us at least endeavor to accept with
patience the mortifications arising from the infirmities,
the heat and cold, that God sends us. St. Francis Bor
gia once arrived late at a college of the Order, and was
obliged to remain all night in the open air, exposed to
the cold and snow. In the morning the Fathers of
the college were afflicted at what had happened; but
the saint said he was greatly consoled by thinking that
God had sent the wind, the frost, and snow. " Hasten,
O Lord," says St. Bonaventure, " hasten to wound Thy
servants with Thy sacred wounds, lest they be wounded
by deadly wounds of vice."1 This we, too, should say
when we are afflicted with sickness and pains: Lord,
chastise me with these healing wounds, that I may be
freed from the deadly wounds of the flesh; or let us
say with St. Bernard: "It is just that he should be
bowed down and become sad who has despised Thee, O
Lord!'" Yes, my God, it is just that I who have in
sulted you should suffer affliction: I have been con-
1 " Lilia haec oriuntur in monte myrrhae, et nusquam magis illsesa
servantur: ubi carnis mortificantur affectus, ibi lilia castimonise
nascuntur et florent." — In Cant. s. 28.
5 " Sicut enim exhibuistis membra vestra servire immunditiae et
iniquitati ad iniquitatem, ita nunc exhibete membra vestra servire
justitiae in sanctificationem." — Rom. vi. 19.
3 "Curre, Domine, curre, et vulnera servos tuos vulneribus sacris,
ne vulnerentur vulneribus mortis."
4 " Conteratur contemptor Dei; si recte sentis, dices: Reus est
mortis, crucifigatur." — Medit c. 15.
3 80 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
demned to eternal death; let me, then, be crucified in
this life, that I may not be tormented for eternity in the
next.
Let us at least bear the pains that God sends us. A
certain author well observes, that a person who does not
embrace voluntary pains will scarcely bear involuntary
sufferings with perfect patience. And, on the other
hand, St. Anselm says: " God will cease to chastise the
sinner who voluntarily punishes himself for his sins."1
III.
The Good that is derived from a Mortified Life.
Some imagine that a life of mortification is an un
happy life. No: the life of the man who practises
mortification is not unhappy; but the life of him who
indulges his senses so as to offend God is truly miser
able: Who hath resisted Him, and hath had peace ? 2 A soul
in sin is a sea agitated by the tempest: The wicked are
like the raging sea, which cannot rest? St. Augustine says
that the man who is not in peace with God is an enemy
that wages war against himself.4 The gratifications
that we give the body fight against us, and make us un
happy: From whence are wars and contentions amongst
you ? Are they not hence- from your concupiscences, which
war in your members ? B
On the other hand, the Lord says: To him that ovcr-
cometh, I will give the hidden manna? To them who prac-
1 " Cessat vindicta divina, si conversio praecurrat humana." — In
i Cor. ii.
2 " Quis restitit ei, et pacem habuit ?" — Job, ix. 4.
3 " Impii autem, quasi mare fervens, quod quiescere non potest."—
Isa. Ivii. 20.
4 " Ipse sibi est bellum, qui pacem noluit habere cum Deo." —
Enarr. in Ps. 75.
6 " Unde bella et lites in vobis ? nonne hinc, ex concupiscentiis
vestris, quae militant in membris vestris ?" — James, iv. i.
6 " Vincenti dabo manna absconditum." — Apoc. ii. 17.
INSTR. ix.i Exterior Mortification. 381
tise mortification God gives that sweetness and peace
that are hidden from the unmortified, and that surpass
all sensual pleasures: The peace of God, which surpasseth
all under st~nding} Hence they who live dead to earthly
delights are pronounced happy: Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord? Worldlings regard as miserable the life
of those who live at a distance from sensual gratifica
tions. They see the Cross, but not its interior unction? says
St. Bernard; they see the mortifications of the saints, but
not the interior consolations with which God caresses
them, even in this life. The promises of God cannot
fail: Take up My yoke upon you, . . . and you shall find rest
to your souls." Ah! the soul that loves God suffers not
in her mortifications. He who loves, finds nothing diffi
cult, says St. Augustine/ " Love," says a certain author,
" blushes at the word difficulty." ' As nothing resists
death, so nothing resists love: Love is as strong as death?
If we wish to acquire eternal delights, we must de
prive ourselves of temporal pleasures: He that will save
his life shall lose it? Hence St. Augustine says: " Be
ware of enjoying yourself in this life, lest you suffer
eternally."8 St. John saw all the saints with palms in
their hands.10 To be saved, we must all be martyrs,
either by the sword of the tyrant or by voluntary
mortification. Let us reflect that all we suffer is nothing
" Pax Dei, quse exsuperat omnem sensum." — Phil. iv. 7.
2 " Beati mortui, qui in Domino moriuntur." — Apoc. xiv. 13.
3 " Crucem videntes, sed non etiam unctionem." — In Dedic. s. I.
4 " Tollite jugum meum super vos, . . . et invenietis requiem
animabus vestris." — Matth. xi. 29.
5 "Qui amat, non laborat." — In Jo. tr. 48.
6 "Amor, difficultatis nomen erubescit." — Lign. v. de Char. c. 4.
7 " Fortis est ut mors dilectio." — Cant. viii. 6.
8 " Qui enim voluerit animam salvam facere, perdet earn." — Matth.
xvi. 25.
9 " Noli amare in hac vita, ne perdas in aeterna vita." — In Jo. tr. 51.
10 " Stantes ante thronum, . . . et palrrue in manibus eorum." —
Apoc. vii. 9.
382 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
compared with the eternal glory which awaits us: The
sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory to come, that shall be revealed in us? The transitory
pains of this life shall merit for us eternal beatitude: For
that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation,
worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of
glory? Hence Philo the Jew has written: " The pleas
ures which we give the body to the detriment of the
soul are thefts of the glory of heaven, which we com
mit against ourselves."' On the other hand, St. John
Chrysostom says that when God gives us an occasion of
suffering, he bestows a greater grace than if he gave us
power to restore life to the dead.4 He assigns the rea
son, saying: " For the miracles I am a debtor to God,
and by suffering with patience I have Christ as my
debtor." The saints are the living stones that com
pose the heavenly Jerusalem: As living stones built up, a
spiritual house!' But these must be first polished by the
chisel of mortification, as is sung by the Church:
' ' Many a blow and biting sculpture
Polished well those stones elect,
In their places now compacted
By the heavenly Architect. " 7
1 " Non sunt condignse passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam
quae revelabitur innobis." — Rom. viii. 18.
8 " Id enim quod in prsesenti est momentaneum et leve tribulationis
nostrse, supra modum in sublimitate seternum gloria pondus operatur
in nobis." — 2 Car. iv. 17.
3 " Oblectamenta praesentis vitae, quid sunt, nisi furta vitse futurae?"
4 " Quando Deus dat alicui ut mortuos resuscitet, minus dat, quam
cum dat occasionem patiendi."
b " Pro miraculis enim, debitor sum Deo; ut pro patientia, debitorem
habes Christum." — In Phil. horn. 4.
6 " Tamquam lapides vivi superaxlificamini, domus spiritualis." — i
Pet. ii. 5.
7 "Scalpri salubris ictibus,
Et tunsione plurima,
Fabri polita malleo,
Hanc saxa molem construunt." — Off. Dcdic. Eccl. Hymn.
INSTR. ix.] Exterior Mortification. 383
Hence every act of mortification is a work for heaven.
This thought will sweeten all the bitterness we shall
feel in mortification: The just man liveth by faith.1 To
live well, and obtain salvation, we must live by faith,
that is, in view of the eternity which awaits us: Man
shall go into the house of his eternity? Let us consider,
says St. Augustine, that at the very time when the Lord
exhorts us to combat against temptations, he assists us,
and prepares a crown for us.3 Speaking of wrestlers,
the Apostle said, that they abstain from everything that
can be an obstacle to their winning a miserable tem
poral crown; how much more ought we to die to all
things in order to acquire an infinite and eternal crown:
Every one that strivcth for the mastery refraineth himself
from all things ; and they indeed that they may receive a
corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one."
1 " Justus autem ex fide vivit." — Rom. i. 17.
2 " Quoniam ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae." — Eccles. xii. 5.
3 " Deus hortatur ut pugnes, et deficientem sublevat, et vincentem
coronal." — In Ps. 32, enarr. 2.
4 " Omnis autem qui in agone contendit, ab omnibus se abstinet; et
illi quidem utcorruptibilemcoronamaccipiant, nos autem incorruptam."
— i Cor. ix. 25.
384 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
INSTRUCTION X,
THE LOVE OF GOD.
I.
Special Obligation for the Priest to belong Entirely to God.
PETER DE BLOIS says that a priest without divine
love "may be called a priest but is not a priest."1
From the day of his ordination a priest is no longer his
own, but belongs to God. St. Ambrose has said: "A
true minister of the altar is in the world for God and not
for himself." 2 And before him God himself said: They
offer the burnt-offering of the Lord, and the bread of their
God, and therefore they shall be holy:" Origen has called a
priest "a being consecrated to God."' From his very
entrance into the ecclesiastical state the priest declared
that he wished for no other portion than God.5 If,
then, adds St. Ambrose, God is the portion of the priest,
he should live only for God.6 Hence the Apostle has
said, that he who is devoted to the service of the divine
majesty should not engage in worldly affairs, but
should seek only to please him to whom he has given
himself: No man being a soldier to God, entangleth himself
with secular business; that he may please Him to Whom he
1 " Sacerdos dici potes, esse nonpotes." — Scrm. 41.
2 " Verus minister altaris Deo, non sibi, natusest." — In Ps. 118, s. 8.
3 " Incensum enim Domini et panes Dei sui offerunt, et ideo sancti
erunt." — Levit. xxi. 6.
4 " Mens consecrata Deo." — In Lev. horn. 15.
5 " Dominus pars hereditatis meae. "
6 " Cui Deus portio est, nihil debet curare, nisi Deum." — De Esau,
C. 2.
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 385
hath engaged himself } Jesus Christ forbade the young
man who wished to become one of his disciples to re
turn home for the purpose of burying his father: Fol
low Me, and let the dead bury the dead?' This lesson was,
as the same St. Ambrose writes, directed to all eccle
siastics, to teach them that it is their duty to prefer
the concerns of the divine glory to all human affairs,
which may be an obstacle to their belonging entirely to
God.3
Even in the Old Law, God declared to the priests
that he had chosen them from among the people that
they might be his without reserve. Hence he told
them that they should have no possession, no portion
among seculars, because he himself wished to be their
portion and inheritance: You- shall possess nothing in their
land, neither shall you have a portion among them: I am thy
portion and inheritance in the midst of the children of
Israel? On this passage Oleaster writes: " O priest!
understand what great happiness God has conferred
upon thee by wishing to have thee as his inheritance.
And what can be wanting to thee if thou possesses!
God ?" E The priest, then, should say with St. Augus
tine: " Let others choose for their portion temporal
things; God is my portion."'
1 " Nemo, militans Deo, implicat se negotiis ssecularibus, ut ei
placeat, cui se probavit." — 2 7'i?u. ii. 4.
2 " Sequere me, et dimitte mortuos sepelire mortuos suos." —
Matth. viii. 22.
3 "Hie paterni funeris sepultura prohibetur, ut intelligas humana
posthabenda divinis." — In Luc. c. 9.
4 " In terra eorum nihil possidebitis, nee habebitis partem inter eos;
ego pars et hereditas tua in medio filiorum Israel." — Num. xviii. 20.
5 " Magna dignatio Domini, si earn, Sacerdos, cognoscas: quod velit
Deus esse pars tua. Quid non habebis, si Deum habeas ?"
6 " Eligant sibi alii partes, quibus fruantur, terrenas et temporales;
portio sanctorum, Dominus aeternus est. Bibant alii mortiferas volup-
tates; portio calicis mei, Dominus est." — Enarr^ in Ps. 15.
25
386 Material for Instructions. LPART n.
And, says St. Anselm, if we love not God, what shall
we love?1 The Emperor Diocletian placed before St.
Clement gold, silver, and precious stones, in order to
induce him to deny the faith: seeing his God put in
comparison with a little dust, the saint heaved a sigh of
sorrow: But one thing is necessary? He who possesses
all things without God, has nothing; but he who pos
sesses God without anything else, has all things. Hence,
St. Francis had reason to say, and to repeat, as he did
for an entire night, My God, and my all. Happy, then, is
he who can say with David: For what have I in heaven ?
and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth ? . . . God is
my portion forever* My God, neither in heaven nor on
earth do I wish for anything but Thee. Thou art, and
shall be always, the Lord of my heart, and my only
riches.
God deserves to be loved for his own sake, because
he is an object worthy of infinite love: but we should
love him, at least, through gratitude for the infinite
love he has shown in the benefit of redemption. What
more could God do for us, than become man and die
for us ? Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay
down his life for his friends." Before redemption, men
could doubt if God loved them with a tender love; but
how can they doubt it after having seen him dead on a
cross for the love of them. This has been, as it was
called by Moses and Elias on Mount Thabor, an excess
of love: And they spoke of His decease [excess] that He
should accomplish in Jerusalem? An excess that all the
1 " Si non amavero te, quid amabo?" — Mcdit. 13.
2 " Unum est necessarium." — Luke, x. 42.
3 "Quid enim mihi est in coelo? et a te quid volui super terram ?
. . . Deus cordis mei, et pars mea Deus in aeternum." — Ps. Ixxii. 25.
4 " Majorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, ut animam suam ponat
quis pro amicis suis." — John, xv. 13.
5 " Dicebant excessum ejus, quern completurus erat in Jerusalem. "-
Litkc, ix. 31.
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 387
angels shall not be able to comprehend for all eternity.
Who among men, says St. Anselm, could deserve that a
God should die for him?1 But it is certain that this
Son of God has died for each of us: Christ died for all.''
The Apostle writes, that when the death of our Saviour
was preached to the Gentiles it appeared to them
foolishness: We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews in
deed a stumbling-block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness? It
was neither foolishness nor a lie, but a truth of faith, —
a truth which, as St. Laurence Justinian says, makes a
God appear to us foolish through love for man.4 O
God, if Jesus Christ wished to show his love for his
eternal Father, could he give him a more convincing
proof than by dying on a cross, as he has died, for each
of us? I say more: If a servant had died for us, could
we but love him ? But where is our love and gratitude
towards Jesus Christ?
Let us at least frequently remember what our Re
deemer has done and suffered for us. They who fre
quently remember his Passion give great pleasure to
Jesus Christ. If a person submitted to insults, wounds,
and imprisonment for the sake of a friend, how great
should his gratification be at hearing that the friend
frequently remembered and thought of his sufferings.
Ah! the soul that frequently thinks on the Passion of
Jesus Christ, and on the love that that enamoured God
has shown us in his pains and humiliations, cannot but
feel herself chained to his love: The charity of Christ
presseth us.b But if all should burn with love for Jesus
1 "Quisdignus erat ut Filius Dei mortem pro eo pateretur?" — DC
Mensura Cruc. c. 2.
2 " Pro omnibus mortuus est Christus." — 2 Cor. v. 15.
3 " Praedicamus Christum crucifixum, Judseris qu-idem scandalum,
Gentibus autem stultitiam." — I Cor. i. 23.
4 " Vidimus Sapientiam amoris nimietate infatuatam." — Serm. de
Nat. D.
5 " Charitas em'm Christi urget nos." — 2 Cor. v. 14,
388 Material for Instructions [PART n.
Christ, we priests should love him with a special love;
for Jesus Christ has died in a special manner to make
us priests: for, as has been said in Chapter I., without
the death of Jesus Christ we should not have the
holy and immaculate victim that we now offer to
God. Justly, then, has St. Ambrose said: "Although
Christ has suffered for all, he has especially suffered
for us. But he that receives more, owes more. Let
us render love to him for the blood that he has shed
for us." J
Let us endeavor to understand the love that Jesus
Christ has shown us in his Passion, and we shall cer
tainly renounce the love of creatures, " Oh, if you
knew the mystery of the cross!"2 said the Apostle St.
Andrew to the tyrant who tempted him to deny Jesus
Christ. As if he said, O tyrant! if you knew the love
that your God has for you, and his desire for your sal
vation, you would certainly cease to tempt me, and
through gratitude for so much love, you would devote
yourself to his love.
Happy, then, the man who keeps constantly before
his eyes the wounds of Jesus Christ! You shall draw
waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains? Oh, what
waters of devotion, what lights and affections, do the
saints draw from these fountains of salvation! Father
Alvarez used to say, that the ignorance of the riches
that we have in Jesus Christ is the cause of the ruin of
Christians. The learned boast of their science, but the
Apostle gloried in nothing but in the knowledge of Jesus
Christ crucified: For I judged not myself to know anything
1 " Etsi Christus pro omnibus mortuus est, pro nobis tamen specialitcr
passus est. Plus debet, qui plus accepit; reddamus ergo amorem pro
sangoiinis pretio." — In Ltic. c. 7.
3 " Oh! si scires mysterium Crucis!"
z " Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus Salvatoris." — Isa. xii. 3.
4 " Non enim judicavi me scire aliquid inter vos, nisi Jesum Chris
tum, et hunc crucifixum." — I Cor. ii. 2~.
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 389
among y on, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified? Of what
advantage are all sciences to him who knows not how
to love Jesus Christ ? And if . . . I should know . . . all
science, said the same Apostle, and have not charity, I am
nothing.1 In another place he said that to gain Jesus
Christ he esteemed all things as dung: I count all things
to be but loss, and count them but as dung, that I may gain
Christ? Hence he gloried in calling himself the prisoner
of Jesus Christ: /, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ?
Oh, happy the priest who, bound by these holy
chains, gives himself entirely to Jesus Christ! God
loves a soul that gives herself entirely to him, more than
he does a hundred imperfect souls. If a prince had a
hundred servants, ninety-nine of whom served him with
little affection, always giving him some displeasure, and
had one that served him through pure love, always
seeking to please him to the utmost of his power, surely
the prince would love that faithful servant more than
all the others: There are young maidens without number \
One is my dove, my perfect one? The Lord loves the soul
that serves him perfectly, as if he had no other to love
but her. St. Bernard says: " Learn from Christ how to
love Christ."5 From his birth Jesus Christ has given
himself entirely to us: For a Child is born to us, and a
Son is given to us.6 And he has given himself through
love: Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself
1 " Et si noverim omnem scientiam, charitatem autem non habuero
nihil sum." — i Cor. xiii. 2.
2 " Omnia detrimentum feci, et arbitror ut stercora, ut Christum
lucrifaciam." — Phil. iii. 8.
3 " Ego Paulus, vinctus Christi Jesu." — Eph. iii. i.
4 " Adolescentularum non est numerus; una est columba mea, per-
fecta mea." — Cant. vi. 7.
5 " Disce a Christo quemadmodum diligas Christum.5' — In Cant. s.
20.
6 " Parvulus enim natus est nobis. et filius datus est nobis." — Isa. ix.
6.
390 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
for us? It is just, then, that we also through love give
ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ. He, says St. John
Chrysostom, has given himself without reserve to you,
bestowing upon you his blood, his life, his merits.2 It is
but just that you, too, give yourself without reserve
to Jesus Christ, says St. Bernard.3
But if this holds for all, it applies in a special manner
to priests. Hence, addressing particularly the priests
of his Order, St. Francis of Assisi, knowing the special
obligation of a priest to belong entirely to Jesus Christ,
said: " Keep nothing back of yourselves, so that he who
offers himself entirely may also receive you."4 The
Redeemer has died for all, that each may live no longer
to himself, but only to that God who has given his life
for him: Christ died for all; that they also, who live, may
not now live to themselves, but unto Him who died for them:1
Oh that each of us would continually say to God with
St. Augustine: " May I die to myself that I may live
only for Thee!"1 But to belong entirely to God, we
must give him our whole, .undivided love, says St.
Augustine.7 He cannot belong entirely to God who
loves anything which is not God, or loves it not for
God, continues St. Augustine. " Let your soul," cries
out St. Bernard, "be one, that you may serve God
alone."' Ah! redeemed soul, divide not your love
1 " Dilexit nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis." — Eph. v. 2.
2 " Totum tibi dedit, nihil sibi reliquit."
3 " Integrum te da illi, quia ille, ut te salvaret, integrum se tradidit."
— DC Modo bene viv. c. 8.
4 " Nihil de vobis retineatis vobis, ut totos vos recipiat; qui se vobis
exhibet totum."
5 " Pro omnibus mortuus est Christus, ut et qui vivunt, jam non sibi
vivant, sed ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est." — i Cor. v. 15.
6 " Moriar mihi, ut tu solus in me vivas."
7 "Minus te amat, qui tecum aliquid amat, quod non propter te
amat." — Conf. 1. 10, c. 29.
8 " Anima, sola esto, ut soli te serves." — In Cant. s. 40.
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 391
among creatures; keep yourself alone for that God who
alone merits all your love. It was this that Blessed
Egidius meant by the words una, uni, that is, the one
soul which we have, we ought not to divide, but give
entirely to that one God whose love for us exceeds the
love of all others, and whose claims to our love surpass
the claims of all.
II.
Means to be Employed for belonging Entirely to God.
i. DESIRE FOR PERFECTION.
Let us now see what a priest must do in order to be
long entirely to God. First of all, he must have a great
desire of sanctity: For the beginning of her is the most
true desire of discipline.1' Holy desires are the wings with
which souls fly to God: But the path of the just, as a
shining light, goeth forward, and increaseth even to perfect
day? The way of the just is like the light of the sun,
which from his rising increases as he advances in his
course; but, on the other hand, the light of sinners, like
that of the evening, constantly grows more dim, until it
is entirely lost, so that the miserable beings no longer
see where they are going: The way of the wicked is dark
some; they know not where they fall?
Miserable, then, the man who is content with his con
duct, and seeks not to advance. " Not to advance is to
go backward,"4 says St. Augustine. And St. Gregory
has said,5 he who remains in a river without making an
effort to make way against the current, shall be carried
1 " Initium enim illius, verissima est discipline concupiscentia." —
Wisd. vi. 1 8.
2 " lustorum autem semita, quasi lux splendens. procedit et crescit
usque ad perfectam diem." — Prov. iv. 18.
" Via impiorum tenebrosa; nesciunt ubi corruant." — Ib. 19.
4 " Non progredi, reverti est." — Ep. 17, E. B. app.
5 Past. p. 3, c. i.
39 2 Material for Instructions. LPART n.
back by it. Hence St. Bernard said to a tepid soul,
" You do not wish to advance. You will then go back
ward." Are you unwilling to advance? Then you
wish to go backward. You perhaps will answer: I wish
to remain as I am, neither better nor worse. But this
is impossible. " This," adds the saint, " is what cannot
be done."2 This cannot be, since Job has said, that
man never continueth in the same state? To win the prize
that is, the eternal crown, we must run till we obtain
it: So run that you may obtain? He who ceases to run,
shall lose all his labor and the crown of glory.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice? For,
as the divine mother said, God fills with his graces the
souls that desire to become saints. He hath filed the
hungry with good things. Mark the words, the hungry, those
that hunger? But to become a 'saint, a simple desire
is not enough: a strong desire, and a certain hunger
after sanctity, are necessary. As flame runs through a
dry reed, so they who have this blessed hunger do not
walk, but run in the way of virtue. The just shall shine,
and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds.'1 Who,
then, shall become a saint ? He who wishes to become
one: If thou wilt be perfect, go, etc.8 But he must wrish
for sanctity with true humility. The tepid Christian,
as the Wise Man says, also wills, but not with a sincere
will. He desires, and always desires, but his desires
bring him to destruction; for he feeds on them, and in
" Non vis proficere; vis ergo deficere."
" Hoc ergo vis, quod esse non potest." — Ep. 254.
" Nunquam in eodem statu permanet." — Job, xiv. 2.
" Sic currite, ut comprehendatis." — i Cor. ix. 24.
" Beati, qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam." — MatlJi. v. 6.
" Esurientes implevit bonis." — Magnif.
" Fulgebunt justi, et tanquam scintillse in arundineto discurrent. "
— Wisd. iii. 7.
8 " Si vis perfectus esse, vade . . . ." — Matth. xix. 21.
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 393
the mean time goes from bad to worse: The sluggard
willeth and willeth not.1 — Desires kill the slothfid?
Wisdom, that is sanctity, is easily found by them who
seek it: It is found by them that seek her? But to find sanc
tity it is not enough to desire it; we must desire it with a
determined will to attain it: If you seek, seek* says Isaias.
He who desires sanctity with a resolute will of acquiring
it, easily attains it. " Not with the feet of the body,"
says St. Bernard, "but with the desires of the soul; is
God sought."5 And St. Teresa has written: "Let our
thoughts be great; from great thoughts our advance
ment shall come. Our desires must not be low and
grovelling, but we must trust in God; that, gradually
doing violence to ourselves, we shall, with the divine
grace, arrive at the sanctity which the saints have at
tained."0
Open thy mouth wide, says the Lord, and I will fill it}
A mother cannot give suck to an infant if it open not
its mouth to take the milk. Open thy mouth wide; that
is, says St. Athanasius, "Increase thy desires."' By
holy desires the saints have arrived at perfection in a
short time: Being made perfect in a short time, he fulfilled
a long time* This was verified particularly in St.
Aloysius Gonzaga, who in a few years attained such
sublime sanctity, that to St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi,
who saw him in bliss, it appeared that his glory was
scarcely surpassed by that of any of the saints. And
" Vult et non vult piger." — Prov. xiii. 4.
2 " Desideria occidunt pigrum." — Prov. xxi. 25.
8 " Invenitur ab his qui quaerunt illam." — Wisd. vi. 13.
4 " Si quaeritis, quaerite." — 7sa. xxi. 12.
5 " Non pedum passibus, sed desideriis quseritur Deus." — In Cant.
s. 84.
6 Life, ch. 13.
7 " Dilata os tuum, et implebo illud." — Ps. Ixxx. n.
" Dilata desiderium tuum."
9 " Consummatus in brevi, explevit tempora multa." — Wisd. iv. 13.
394 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
she was told that he attained to such glory by the ardor
with which he desired, during life, to love God as much
as he deserved to be loved.
Desires, says St. Laurence Justinian, give strength to
the soul, and render labor light.1 Hence the saint adds,
that he who has an ardent desire of victory has already
conquered.2 St. Augustine has said: "For him that
labors, the road is narrow; for him that loves, it is wide." 3
To him who has but little love for sanctity, the way is
narrow and difficult to be trodden; but he who ardently
loves perfection, finds the way broad, and walks in it
without labor. The broadness, then, of the way is
found not in the way, but in the heart; that is, in a de
termined will to please God: I have run the way of Thy
commandments ', when Thou didst enlarge my heart.* Blosius
says that the Lord is not less pleased by holy desires
than by ardent love.5
He that has not the desire of becoming a saint, let
him at least ask it of God, and God will give it to him.
And let us be persuaded that to become a saint is not
difficult to him who desires it. In the world it is diffi
cult for a vassal to obtain the friendship of his sovereign,
however ardently he may desire it, but, said the courtier
of the emperor mentioned by St. Augustine, to obtain
the friendship of God it is enough to wish for it: " Be
hold, if I wish I am instantly his friend!"0 And St.
Bernard has written that a man cannot have a greater
1 "Vires subministrat, poenam exhibet leviorem." — DC Disc. won.
c. 6.
2 " Magna victorise pars est vincendi desiderium." — De Casto Conn.
c. 3.
3 " Laboranti ant>usta via est, amanti lata." — In Ps. 30, en. 2..
4 " Viam mandatorum tuorum cucurri, cum dilatasticor meum." — Ps.
cxviii. 32.
5 " Deus non minus sancto desiderio Isetatur, quam si anima amore
liquefiat."
6 " Amicus Dei, si voluero, ecce nunc fio." — Conf. 1. 8, c. 6.
INSTR. x.i The Love of God. 395
proof of being the friend of God, and of enjoying his
grace, than when he desires greater grace in order to
please God.1 And, adds the saint, it matters not that
he should have been a sinner, for " God attends not to
what a man has done, but to what he wishes to be.":
2. THE INTENTION OF PLEASING GOD IN ALL THINGS.
Secondly, the priest who wishes to be a saint, must do
all his actions for the sole purpose of pleasing God.
All his words, thoughts, desires, and actions must bean
exercise of divine love. The spouse in the Canticles
assumed at one time the character of a fowler; at an
other, of a warrior; now a gardener; again, a cultivator
of the vine; but in all these occupations she presented
the appearance of a lover, because she did all for the
love of her spouse. So, in like manner, all the words,
thoughts, sufferings, actions, of a priest, whether he
says Mass or hears confessions, or preaches, or medi
tates, or assists the dying, or mortifies the flesh, or
whatever else he does, should all proceed from the same
love; for he ought to do all in order to please God.
Jesus Christ has said: If thy eye be single, thy whole body
shall be lightsome* By the eye the holy Fathers have
understood the intention. Then, says St. Augustine,
" The intention makes the work good." 4 The Lord said
to Samuel: Man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord
beholdeth the heart? Men are satisfied with the works that
they see, but God, who beholds the heart, is not content
with any work unless he sees it performed with a view
1 " Nullum omnino prsesentire ejus certius testimonium est, quam
desiderium gratiae amplioris." — De S. Anctr. s. 2.
2 " Non attendit Deus quid fecerit homo, sed quid velit esse."
3 " Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit."
— Matth. vi. 22.
4 " Bonum opus intentio facit." — In Ps. 21, en. 2.
5 " Homo enim videt ea quae parent; Dominus autem intuetur cor."
— I Kings, xvi. 7.
396 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
to please himself. I will offer up to Thee holocausts full
of marrow? says David. Works performed without the
proper intention, are victims without marrow, which
God rejects. In the oblations made to him he regards
not the value of the offering, but the affection with
which it is presented. " God," says Salvian, " looks not
so much at the value of the offering as at the disposition
with which it is offered."5 Of our Saviour it was justly
said: He hath done all things well* For in all his actions
he sought only the pleasure of his eternal Father: /
seek not my own will, but the will of Him that sent me*
But, alas! only few of our works are perfectly pleasing
to God; because few are done without some desire of
our own glory. " It is rare," says St. Jerome, " to find a
faithful soul that never acts out of vain-glory."8 How
many priests on the day of judgment shall say to Jesus
Christ: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied, and cast out
devils in Thy name, and done many miracles in Thy name ? 8
Lord, we have preached, we have celebrated Masses, we
have heard confessions, we have converted souls, we
have assisted the dying. The Lord shall answer: /
never knew you : depart from Me, you that work iniquity?
He shall say: Begone, I have never known you as my
ministers, for you have not labored for me, but for your
own glory or interest.
Hence Jesus Christ exhorts us to conceal the works
1 " Holocausta medullata off e ram tibi." — Ps. Ixv. 15.
2 " Oblata Deo, non pretio, sed affectu placent." — Adv. Avarit. 1. i.
3 " Bene omnia fecit." — Mark, vii. 37.
4 " Non quaero voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus qui misit me."
— John, v. 30.
5 " Rarum est, fidelem animam inveniri, ut nihil ob gloriae cupidita-
tem facial." — Dial. adv. Lnciferianos.
6 " Domine, nonne in nomine tuo prophetavimus, et in nomine tuo
daemonia ejecimus, et in nomine tuovirtutes multas fecimus?" — Matth.
vii. 22.
7 "Nunquam novi vos; discedite a me, qui operamini iniquitatem."
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 397
which we perform: Let not thy left hand know what thy
right hand doth? The Son of God tells us to conceal our
works, that, as St. Augustine remarks, what we do for
God may not be afterwards lost through vanity.2 God
abominates rapine in the holocaust: / the Lord . . .
hate robbery in a holocaust? By rapine is meant precisely
the seeking of our own glory, or of self-interest in the
works of God. He who truly loves, says St. Bernard,
merits a reward, but does not seek it: the only recom
pense that he demands is to please the God whom he
loves.4 In a word, as the same saint says in another
place, " True love is content with itself;"5 that is, with
being love, and demands nothing more.
The marks by which a priest may know whether he
acts with a pure intention are the following: i. If he
loves works that are attended with greater incon
venience and less glory. 2. If he preserves peace when
he has not attained the object that he proposed. He
who works for God has already attained his end, which
is to please God; and, on the other hand, he who is dis
turbed when he fails in the attainment of his object
shows that he has not labored solely for God. 3. If he
rejoices in the good done by others as if it had been
done by himself, and entertains no jealousy when others
engage in the works that he performs, but desires to see
all laboring to give glory to God, and says with Moses:
Oh that all the people might prophesy /"
The days of the priest who performs all his actions
1 " Nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua." — Matth. vi. 3.
y " Quod facit amor Dei, non corrumpat vanitas." — Serm. 63, E. B.
app.
" Ego Dominus, . . . odio habens rapinam in holocausto." — Isa.
Ixi. 8.
4 " Verus amor prsemium non requirit, sed meretur; habet prsemium,
sed id quod amatur." — De dil. Deo, c. 7.
5 " Verus amor seipso contentus est."
6 " Quis tribuat ut omnis populus prophetet!" — Num. xi. 20,.
398 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
for God are full days: And full days shall be found in
them.1 But of them who act for a selfish end, it is said
that they do not reach even the half of their days: De
ceitful men shall not live out half their days? Hence St.
Eucherius of Lyons has written, that we ought to con
sider ourselves to have lived only on the day on which
we have denied our own will.3
Seneca says that he who makes us a small present
through love, imposes on us a greater obligation than
another who bestows great favors upon us through a
motive of self-interest.4 Certainly the Lord is more
pleased by a trifling act performed in order to do his
will, than by the most splendid works done for our own
satisfaction. Of the poor widow who gave two mites in
the temple, Jesus Christ said that she gave more than
all the others: This poor widow hath cast in more than all*
On this passage St. Cyprian says: " The Lord does not
regard how much is given, but with what sentiments it
is given." ( The Lord regarded not the sum, but the
affection with which it was given.
The Abbot Pambo, seeing a woman decked out in
costly ornaments, began to weep. Being asked the
cause of his tears, he said: " O God! how much more
does this woman do to please men than I do to please
God !" In the Life of St. Louis, king of France, it is
related that a Father of the Order of St. Dominic, who
was going to court, asked a woman whom he saw with
1 " Et dies pleni invenientur in eis." — Ps. Ixxii. 10.
3 " Dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos." — Ps. liv. 24.
3 " Ilium tantum diem vixisse te computa; in quo voluntates pro-
prias abnegasti." — Ad Monach. horn. 9.
4 " Magis nos obligat, qui exiguum dedit libenter, quam qui, non
voluntatem tantum juvandi habuit, sed cupiditatem." — De Benefic. 1. I,
c. 7.
5 " Vidua haec pauper plus omnibus misit." — Mark, xii. 43.
6 " Considerans, non quantum, sed ex quanto dedisset." — De Oge et
FJecm..
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 399
a lighted torch in one hand and a vessel of water in the
other, why she carried these things; she answered: With
this torch I wish to burn heaven, and with this water I
desire to extinguish hell, that God may be loved solely
because he deserves all love. Oh, happy the priest who
labors only to please God! He who seeks only to please
God imitates the souls in heaven, who, as the angelic
Doctor says, " wish that He rather than themselves
should be happy." They rejoice more in the felicity
of God than in their own happiness, because they love
him more than themselves.
3. PATIENCE IN PAINS AND HUMILIATIONS.
Thirdly, the priest who wishes to be holy must be
ready to suffer in peace for God all things — poverty,
dishonor, infirmity, and death. The Apostle says: You
bear God in your body? In his comment on this text,
Gilbert says: "Jesus Christ wishes to be carried by us
in peace and joy. He who carries him with tediousness
or complaint, carries not, but drags him by force." :
The love that a soul bears- to God is shown in em
bracing not delights, but insults and sufferings. This
we learn from the words of our Redeemer when he
went to meet the soldiers who came to capture him, in
order to put him to death: But that the world may know
that I love the Father. . . . Arise, let us go hence.1' Hence
the saints in imitation of Jesus Christ, have gone with
joy to embrace torments and death. St. Joseph of
Leonessa, a capuchin, was once obliged to undergo a
1 " Anima potius vult ipsum esse beatum, quam seipsam esse bea-
tam."— De Bcatit. c. 7.
2 " Glorificate et portate Deum in corpora vestro." — i Cor. vi. 20.
3 " Portari vult a nobis Christum, sed gloriose, non cum taedio, non
cum murmure; portari, non trahi: trahenti enim onerosus est Christus."
— In Cant. s. 17.
4 " Ut cognoscat mundus quia diligo Patrem, . . . surgite, eamus
hinc." — John ^ xiv. 31.
4OO Material for Instructions. LPART n.
painful operation. When some persons present spoke
of binding him with cords, he took the crucifix into his
hands and said: "What cords! what cords!" My Lord,
who was nailed to the cross for my sake, binds me
sufficiently to endure all pain for the love of him. Thus
he bore the incision without complaint. St. Teresa
said: u Who is there that can behold his Lord covered
with wounds, and persecuted by enemies, without being
willing to embrace and desirous of suffering every
tribulation?"1 St. Bernard writes: "To him who loves
his crucified God, insults and pains are very accept
able."2
The Apostle says that in patience particularly we
priests should make ourselves known as the ministers of
Jesus Christ: Let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of
God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in dis
tresses, . . . in labors? Thomas a Kempis has written:
"When the day of judgment cometh, it will not be
asked of us what we have read, but what we have
done." 4 Many men of learning are acquainted with
many things, but know not how to bear anything for
God; and what is worse, they are incapable of under
standing the great fault which they commit by their
impatience. Who have eyes, and see not* says the Prophet
Jeremias. What does learning profit the man who has
not charity? says St. Paul. And if ... / should know
all mysteries and all knowledge, . . . and have not charity, I am
1 Life, ch. 26.
2 " Grata ignominia crucis ei qui Crucifixo ingratus non est." — /;/
Cant. s. 25.
3 " Exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros in multa patientia,
in tribulation ibus, in necessitatibus, in angustiis, ... in laboribus . . ."
— 2 Cor. vi. 4.
4 " Adveniente die judicii, non quaerettir quid legimus, sed quid feci-
mus." — De Imit. Chr. 1. i, c. 3.
5 " Habentes oculos non videtis." — Jer. v. 21.
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 401
nothing? But, as the same Apostle has observed, Charity
beareth all things? He who wishes to become a saint
must suffer persecution. All that live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution? And before him our Saviour
said : If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute
you? The life of a saint cannot, says St. Hilary, be a
life of quiet and tranquillity: it must be often disturbed
by contradictions and tried by patience.5 The Lord
chastises those whom he accepts for his children: For
whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth: and He scourgcth every
son whom He receive th* Such as I love I rebuke and
chastise? And why ? Because patience tries the love
and perfect fidelity of a soul: Patience hath a perfect work?
It was this that the Archangel Raphael meant to say to
holy Tobias: Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was
necessary that temptation should prove thee?
Sometimes we shall be reproved for a fault which we
have not committed; but "what matter?" says St.
Augustine; "we ought to accept the reproof in atone
ment for other sins to which we have consented." ' ' Let
us attend to the words of holy Judith, who says that in
this life chastisements come from God, not for our de-
1 " Et si . . . noverim mysteria omnia et omnem scientiam, chari-
tatem autem non habuero, nihil sum." — I Cor. xiii. 2.
2 " Charitas omnia suffert."
3 " Et omnes qui pie volunt vivere in Christo Jesu, persecutionem
patientur." — 2 Tim. iii. 12.
4 " Si me persecuti sunt, et vos persequentur." — John, xv. 20.
5 " Non otiosa aetas religiosi viri est, neque quietam exigit vitam;
impugnatur saepe, et haec sunt quae fidem probant." — In Ps. cxxviii.
6 " Quern enim diligit Dominus, castigat; flagellat autem omnem
filium quern recipit." — Heb, xii. 6.
7 " Ego, quos amo, arguo et castigo." — Apoc. iii. 19.
6 " Patienlia autem opus perfectum habet." — James, i. 4.
9 " Quia acceptus eras Deo, necesse fuit ut tentatio probaret te." —
Tob. xii. 13.
10 '' Etsi non habemus peecatum quod nobis objicit inimicus, habemus
tamen alterum, quod digne in nobis flagellatur." — In Ps. 68, s. I.
26
402 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
struction, but that we may amend, and thus escape
eternal vengeance : They have happened for our amendment,
and not for our destruction.1 If, then, on account of past
sins, we find ourselves debtors to the divine justice, we
should not only accept with patience the tribulations
that befall us, but should also pray with St. Augustine:
" Here burn, here cut, here do not spare, that Thou
mayest spare us in eternity."5
Job said: If we have received good things at the hand of
God, why should we not receive evil? 3 He said this because
he well knew that we gain far more by patiently accept
ing the evils, that is, the tribulations of this life, than
we do by temporal blessings. But whether we will or
not, we must suffer the miseries of this life: he who
bears them with patience merits heaven, but he who is
impatient under them also suffers from them, but lays
up merits for hell, says St. Augustine.4 Speaking of
the good and the wicked thief, the same saint says:
"The cross united them; the manner of carrying the
cross separated them."5 Both suffered death, but one
of them, because he accepted it with patience, was
saved; the other, because he blasphemed in his suffer
ing, was lost. St. John the Apostle saw that the saints
who were in the enjoyment of the beatific vision came
not from the delights of the earth, but from tribulations:
These are they who are come out of great tribulation; . . .
therefore they arc before the throne of God?
1 " Ad emendationem, et non ad perditionem nostram, evenisse cre-
damus."— Judith, viii. 27.
2 " Hie ure, hie seca; hie non parcas, ut in aeternum parcas."
3 " Si bona suscepimus de manu Dei, mala quare non suscipiamus ?"
— Job, ii. 10.
4 ' ' Una eademque tunsio bonos perducit ad gloriam, males redigit
in favillam." — Scrm. 52, E. B. app.
5 " Quos passio jungebat. causa separabat." — Ep. 185, E. B.
6 " Hi sunt qui venerunt de tribulatione magna; . . ideo sunt ante
thronum Dei." — Apoc. vii. 14.
INSTR. x.j The Love of God. 403
4. CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD.
Fourthly and lastly, he who wishes to be a saint
must wish only what God wishes. All our good con
sists in uniting ourselves to the will of God: And life in
His good-will? St. Teresa says: "All that he who prac
tises mental prayer should seek, is to conform his will
to the divine will; let him be assured that in this con
sists the highest perfection."5 All that the Lord de
mands of us is, that we give him our heart; that is, our
will: My son, give Me thy heart? St. Anselm says that
God asks and, as it were, begs our heart; and when
cast off, he does not depart, but repeats his petitions^4
The most acceptable offering, then, that we can pre
sent to God is the oblation of our will, saying with the
Apostle: Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? 5 Hence St.
Augustine has written: "We can do nothing more
pleasing than to say to him, Do Thou possess us." ' The
Lord said that he had found in David a man according
to his own heart. And why? Because David fulfilled
all his divine wills: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a
man according to my own heart? Let us endeavor to say
always with David: Teach me to do Thy will.* Lord,
teach me to do nothing but what Thou wiliest. Hence
we must frequently offer ourselves to God, saying with
1 " Et vita in voluntate ejus." — Ps. xxix. 6.
2 Int. Castle, d. 2, ch. i.
3 " Praebe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi." — Prov. xxiii. 26.
4 " Nonne tu es Deus meus, qui tarn crebro pulsas et mendicas ad
ostium nostrum, dicens: Prsebe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi? — imo, et
saepe repulsus, te iterum ingeris'" — De Metis, cntc. c. 5.
5 " Domine, quid me vis facere ?" — Acts, ix. 6.
6 " Nihil gratius Deo possumus offere, quam ut dicamus ei: Posside
nos." — In Ps. 131.
7 " Inveni David, filium Jesse, virum secundum cor meum, qui faciet
omnes voluntates meas." — Acts, xiii. 22.
8 " Doce me facere voluntatem tuam." — Ps. cxlii. 9.
404 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
the same holy prophet: My heart is ready, O God! my
heart is ready ^
But we must remember that our merit consists in em
bracing the divine will, not so much in things that are
pleasing to us, as in those that are opposed to self-love.
Jn these we show the strength of the love we bear to
God. The Venerable John d'Avila used to say, that a
single Blessed be God, in things that are opposed to our
inclination, is of greater value than six thousand acts of
thanksgiving in what is agreeable to us. And here it
is necessary to understand that all that befalls us hap
pens through the will of God, says St. Augustine.2 This
is the meaning of the words of Ecclesiasticus: Good
things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from
God? Thus when a person offends us, God wills not
his sin, but he wills that we bear with the insult. When
our reputation or property is taken away, we must say
with holy Job: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done! 4
He who loves the will of God enjoys continual peace
even in this life. Delight in the Lord, and He will give
thee the requests of thy heart, said David.5 Our heart,
which has been created for an infinite good, cannot be
satisfied by all creatures which are finite; and therefore,
though it should possess all goods but God, the heart is
not content; it always seeks after new enjoyments: but
when it finds God, it possesses all things — he satisfies
all its demands. Hence our Lord said to the Samaritan
1 " Paratum cor meum, Deus, paratum cor meum." — Ps. Ivi. 8.
2 " Quidquid hie accidit contra voluntatem nostram, noveritis non
accidere nisi de voluntate Dei." — In Ps. 148.
3 " Bona et mala, vita et mors, paupertas et honestas, a Deo sunt."
— Ecdus. xi. 14.
4 " Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit; sicut Domino placuit, ita
factum est; sit nomen Domini benedictum!" — Job, i. 21.
5 " Delectare in Domino, et dabit tibi petitiones cordis tui." — Ps.
xxxvi. 4.
. x.] The Love of God. 405
woman: He that shall drink of the water that I will give
him, shall not thirst forever? And in another place he
said: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice,
for they shall have their fill? Hence he who loves God
is not afflicted at anything that happens: Whatsoever
shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad* For
the just man knows that whatever occurs, happens to
him by the will of God. If, says Salvian, the saints are
humbled, they wish for the humiliation; if they are
poor, they rejoice in their poverty; in a word, they wish
only what their God wishes, and therefore they enjoy
continual peace.4 In afflictions it is lawful to pray to
be delivered from them, as Jesus Christ did in the gar
den: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from
Me? But we must also add with the Redeemer: Never
theless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.
It is certain tliat what God wills is best for us.
Father John d'Avila once wrote to a sick priest:
" Friend, think not of what you would do if you were
in health, but be content to remain sick as long as it
shall please God. If you seek the will of God, is it not
as profitable to you to be sick as to be in health ?" 6 We
must be resigned in all things, even in the temptations
by which we are impelled to offend God. The Apostle
besought the Lord to deliver him from the many temp
tations which he suffered against chastity: There was
given me a sting of my flesh. . . . For which thing thrice I
" Qui autem biberit ex aqua quam ego dabo ei, non sitiet in aeter-
num. "—/<?//», iv. 13.
2 " Beati, qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam, quoniam ipsi satura-
buntur." — Matth. v. 6.
3 " Non contristabit justum, quid quid ei accident." — Prov. xii. 21.
4 " Humiles sunt, hoc volunt; pauperes sunt, pauperie delectantur;
itaque beati dicendi sunt/' — De Gub. Dei, 1. i.
"Pater mi, si possibile est, transeat a me calix iste; verumtamen,
non sicut ego volo, sed sicut tu." — Matth. xxvi. 39,
6 Part 2, ep. 54.
406 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
besought the Lord, that it might depart from me.1 But in
answer God said to him: My grace is sufficient for thee?
Let us be persuaded that God not only desires, but is
also solicitous for our welfare. The Lord is careful for
me.3 Let us, then, abandon ourselves into the hands of
God, for he has care of us: Casting all your care upon
Him, for He hath care of you."
Finally, how happy shall be the death of a soul per
fectly conformed to the will of God! But he who
wishes to die in sentiments of perfect conformity to the
divine will must first conform to it in all things during
life. Let us, then, in all contradictions and crosses
that befall us accustom ourselves to acts of resignation,
always repeating with the saints that great prayer
which Jesus Christ has taught us: "Thy will be done;
Thy will be done."' Or let us repeat the words of the
same Saviour: Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in
Thy sight.6 And let us continually offer ourselves to
God, saying with the divine Mother: " Behold the hand
maid of the Lord."7 Lord, behold your servant, dis
pose of me, and of all that belongs to me, as you please;
I accept all from your hands. St. Teresa used to offer
herself fifty times in the day to God. Let us also say
to him, with the Apostle: O Lord, what wilt Thoti have
me do? My God, make known to me what Thou wishest
from me, and I will do it. The saints have done great
things in order to accomplish the will of God. Some
1 " Datus est mihi stimulus carnis meae; . . . propter quod ter
Dominum rogavi, ut discederet a me." — 2 Cor. xii. 7.
8 " Sufficit tibi gratia mea."
3 " Dominus sollicitus est mei." — Ps. xxxix. 18.
4 " Omnem sollicitudinem vestram projicientes in eum, quoniam
ipsi cura est de vobis." — i Pet. v. 7.
5 " Fiat voluntas tua!"
6 " Ita, Pater! quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te." — Matth. xi. 26.
7 " Ecce ancilla Domini!" 8 " Domine, quid me vis facere?"
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 407
have fled into the desert, others have shut themselves
up in the cloister, and others have suffered torments
and death. Let us also who are priests, and are bound
by stricter obligations to sanctity, unite ourselves to
the divine will; let us become saints; let us not be
diffident on account of past sins. " God does not at
tend," says St. Bernard, " to what man does, but to what
he wishes to be." ] A resolute will, with the divine aid,
conquers all things.
Let us pray always: he who asks, receives: For every
one that asketh, receiveth? Whatsoever we ask in prayer,
we shall obtain: You shall ask whatever you will, and it
shall be done unto you? And among all prayers, let the
beautiful prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola be always
dear to us; let us repeat it continually: "Grant me only
Thy love with Thy grace, O Lord! and I shall be rich
enough.'"1 Lord, give me your love and your grace,
and I desire nothing more. But, like St. Augustine,
we must ask this gift of divine love continually and
earnestly. The holy Doctor says: "Hear me, hear me,
O my God, my King, my Father, my honor, my salva
tion, my light, my life, — hear, hear me! Thee only do I
love, Thee only do I seek. Heal me, and open my eyes.
Look upon him who has fled from Thee; long enough
have I served Thy enemy. Command that I may be a
pure, a perfect lover of Thy wisdom."'" And in asking
" Non attendit Deus quid fecerit homo, sed quid velit^sse."
2 " Omnis enim qui petit, accipit." — Matth, vii. 8.
3 "Quodcunque volueritis, petetis, et fiet vobis. "— -Jo/in, xv. 7.
" Amorem tui solum cum gratia tua mihi dones, et dives sum
satis."
5 " Exaudi, exaudi, exaudi me, Deus meus, Rex meus, Pater meus,
Honor meus, Salus mea, Lux mea, Vita mea! exaudi, exaudi, exaudi
me. Jam te solum amo, te solum quaero. Sana et aperi oculos meos.
Recipe fugitivum tuuir.; satis inimicis tuis servierim. . Jubeas me
purum perfectumque amatorem esse sapientiae tuae."— Solil. 1. i, c. i.
408 Material for Institutions. [PART n.
the divine graces, I add, with St. Bernard, let us always
have recourse to the intercession of Mary, who obtains
for her servants whatever she asks from God.1
1 " Quaeratnus gratiam, et per Mariam quseramus; quia, quod quaerit,
invenit, et frustrari non potest. " — De A quad.
INSTR. xi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 409
INSTRUCTION XI.
DEVOTION TO MOST HOLY . MARY.
(THIS instruction may serve either for an instruction
or for a sermon; but whether it be given in the form of
an instruction or of a sermon, the person who gives the
spiritual exercises to the priests is entreated not to omit
this discourse, which is, perhaps, the most fruitful of
all; for without devotion to the divine Mother it is mor
ally impossible for any one to be a good priest.)
Let us, first, consider the moral necessity of the inter
cession of Mary for priests; and secondly, the confidence
which they ought to have in the prayers of this divine
Mother.
Moral Necessity of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
With regard to the necessity of invoking her inter
cession, it is necessary to know that although the Couacil
of Trent1 has only declared that the invocation of the
saints is useful, still St. Thomas has asked the question:
"Whether we should ask the saints to pray for us,"2
and has answered in the affirmative, saying, that the
order of the divine law requires that we mortals be
saved through the saints by obtaining, through their
prayers, the graces necessary for salvation. The holy
Doctor says: "Such is, after St. Denis the Areopagite,
the order divinely established for the government of
kings, that those far off should return to God through
1 Sess. 2$, De inv. Sand.
!< Utrum debeamus Sanctos orare ad interpellandum pro nobis."
4ro Material for Instructions. [PART u.
the mediation of those that are nearer." ' " And as the
saints in heaven are near God, we who are prisoners in
the body and who travel far from God, we cannot, ac
cording to the order established, return to our supreme
end except through the mediation of the saints." 2 Other
authors, particularly the continuator of Tournely and
Sylvius, hold the same opinion. He afterwards adds:
" The natural law prescribes for us the order estab
lished by God. Now God wishes that inferior creat
ures in order to reach salvation should implore the
help of superior creatures."3
But if it is a duty to ask the prayers of the saints,
how much more strictly are we bound to invoke the in
tercession of Mary, whose prayers are more efficacious
with God than the prayers of all the other saints! St.
Thomas says that through the abundant grace which God
has given them the saints can save many, but that the
Blessed Virgin has merited grace sufficient to save all.4
St. Bernard has written that as we have access to the
Father through his Son Jesus Christ, so we have access
to the Son through the Mother.5 Hence he afterwards
1 " Ordo est divinitus institutus in rebus, secundum Dionysium, ut
per media ultima reducantur in Deum. Unde, cum Sancti, qui sunt in
patria, sint Deo propinquissimi, hoc divinae legis ordo requirit, ut nos,
qui marientes in corpore peregrinamur a Domino, in eum per Sanctos
medios reducamur."
2 " Sicut, mediantibus Sanctorum suffragiis, Dei beneficia in nos
deveniunt, ita oportet nos in Deum reduci, ut iterate beneficia ejus
sumamus mediantibus Sanctis." — In 4 Sent. d. 45, q. 3, a. 2.
3 " Lege natural! tenemur eum ordinem observare, quern Deus insti-
tuit; at constituit Deus ut inferiores ad salutem perveniant, implorato
superiorum subsidio." — De Relig. p. 2, c. 2, a. 5.
4 "Magnum est enim in quolibet Sancto, quando habet tantum de
gratia quod sufficit ad salutem multorum; sed, quando haberet tantum
quod sufficeret ad salutem omnium, hoc esset maximum, et hoc est in
Christo et in Beata Virgine." — Expos, in Sal. Ang,
5 " Per te accessum habeamus ad Filium, o Inventrix gratise, Mater
salutis, ut per te nos suscipiat, qui per te ciatus est nobis !" — In Adv.
Dom. s. 2.
INSTR. xi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 4 1 1
said that all the graces that we receive from God come
to us through Mary: "God has placed in Mary the
plenitude of all gifts. Acknowledge, then, that all that
there is in us of hope, of grace, of salvation, we receive
from her who is filled with delights. She is truly a garden
of delights, so that from her are sent forth perfumes the
most exquisite, that is, gifts and graces of God." ! The
saint assigns the following reason for asserting that all
the divine graces come to us through the hands of Mary:
" It is the will of God to grant us all the graces of which
we stand in need."2 This maybe also inferred from all
the texts of Scripture which the holy Church applies to
Mary: He that shall find me shall find tife.3 In me is all
grace of the way and of the truth. . . . They that work by
me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life ever
lasting." The words of the holy Church, in the Salve
Regina, in which she calls Mary our life and our hope? are
sufficient to confirm us all in this doctrine.
Hence St. Bernard exhorts us to have recourse to this
divine Mother, with a secure confidence of obtaining the
graces that we ask her to procure for us; because the
Son knows not how to refuse anything to the Mother/'
Hence the saint afterwards calls Mary the entire ground
of his hope: " My children, she is the ladder for sinners;
1 "Totiusboni plenitudinem posuit (Deus) in Maria, ut proinde, si
quid spei in nobis est, si quid gratiae, si quid salutis, ab ea noverimus
redundare, quse ascendit deliciis affluens: hortus deliciarum, ut undique
fluant et effluant aromata ejus, charismata scilicet gratiarum." — De
Aquced.
2 " Sic est voluntas ejus qui totum nos habere voluit per Mariam."
3 "Qui me_invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino."
Prov. viii. 35.
4 " In me gratia omnis vise et veritatis; in me omnis spes vitse et
virtutis. . . . Qui operantur in me, non peccabunt. Qui elucidant me,
vitam aeternam habebunt." — Ecclus. xxiv. 25.
5 " Vita, Dulcedo, et Spes nostra."
6 " Ad Mariam recurre; non dubius dixerim, exaudiet utique Matrem
Filius."
412 Material for Instructions. CPARTII.
she is the greatest motive of my confidence; she is the
only cause of my hope." ] He concludes by saying that
we should ask all the graces of which we stand in need,
through Mary, because she obtains whatever she asks,
and her prayers cannot be rejected.2 Before him St.
Ephrem said the same: " O most sincere Virgin ! only in
thee do we repose confidence." : St. Ildephonsus teaches
the same doctrine: " All the good decreed by the sublime
majesty for the benefit of men, this she has decreed to
be conveyed to them through the hands of Mary; for
to thee, O Mary ! has been intrusted treasures and
ornaments of grace." < The same is held by St. Peter
Damian: " In thy hands are all the treasures of divine
mercies."5 St. Bernardine of Sienna says: "Thou art
the dispenser of all graces; our salvation rests in thy
hands.'" This, too, was the doctrine of St. John Da
mascene, of St. Germanus, of St. Anselm, of St. Anto-
nine, of Idiota, and of so many other learned authors,
such as Segneri, Pacciuchelli, Crasset, Vega, Mendoza,
and Natalis Alexander, who says: "He [God] wishes
that we should receive all the good that we wish from
him through the mediation of his powerful Mother, by
invoking her as we should. ": Father Contenson has
1 " Filioli, haec peccatorum scala, haec mea maxima fiducia est, haec
tota ratio spei meae."
2 "Quaeramus gratiam, et per Mariam quaeramus; quia, quod quaerit,
invenit, et frustrari non potest.'' — De A quad.
3 " Nobis non est alia quam a te fiducia, o Virgo sincerissima !" — De
Laud. B. M. V.
4 " Omnia bona quae illic summa Majestas decrevit facere, tuis
manibus voluit commendare; commissi quippe sunt tibi thesauri . . .
et ornamenta gratiarum." — De Cor. Virg. c. 15.
5 " In manibus tuis sunt thesauri miserationum Domini." — De Nativ.
s. i.
6 " Tu Dispensatrix omnium gratiarum; salus nostra in manu tua
est."
1 " Deus vult ut omnia bona ab ipso exspectemus, potentissima Vir-
ginis Matris intercessione, cum earn, ut par est, invocamus, impe-
tranda." — Ep. 50 in cake Theol.
INSTR. xi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 4 1 3
also held this opinion. Explaining the words of Jesus
Christ on the cross to St. John, he says: "Behold thy
Mother. As if he said: No one will participate in my
blood except through the mediation of my Mother. My
wounds are the fountains of all graces, but these foun
tains flow only through Mary upon you. O my disciple
John, as much as you love her, so much shalt thou be
loved by me." '
And if, on account of the moral necessity of Mary's
intercession for all, every Christian ought to be devoted
to the Mother of God, how much more should priests,
who are bound by greater obligations, and stand in need
of greater graces for salvation, practise devotion in her
honor ! We priests should remain always at the feet of
Mary, asking the aid of her prayers. St. Francis Borgia
had great doubts about the salvation of those that have
not a special devotion to Mary; because, according to
St. Antonine, he who expects graces from God without
the intercession of Mary attempts to fly without wings.2
St. Anselm has gone so far as to say: " It is impossible
to be saved if we turn away from thee, O Mary."3 St.
Bonaventure has said the same: " He that neglects her
will die in his sins.'" Blessed Albertus Magnus says:
' The people that do not serve thee will perish." 5 And
speaking of Mary, Richard of St. Laurence says: "All
those whom this ship does not receive are lost in the sea
1 " Ecce Mater tua ! (John, xix. 20); quasi diceret: Nullus sanguinis
illius particeps erit, nisi intercessione Matris meae. Vulnera gratiarum
fontes sunt; sed ad nullos derivabantur rivi, nisi per Marianum canalem.
Joannes discipule, tantum a me amaberis, quantum earn amaveris." —
Theol. mcnt. et cord. t. 2, 1. 10, d. 4, c. I.
2 " Sine alis tentat volare." — P. 4, tit. 15, c. 22.
3 " Omnis a te aversus necesse est ut intereat." — Orat. 51.
4 "Oui neglexerit illam, morietur in peccatis suis." — Psalt. B. V.ps.
116.
5 "Gens quae non servierit tibi, peribit." — Bibl. Mar. Is. n. 20.
414 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
of this world."1 But, on the other hand, he who is
faithful in the service of Mary will be certainly saved.
" O Mother of God," says St. John Damascene, " if I put
my confidence in you I shall be saved. If I am under
your protection I have nothing to fear; for to be devoted
to you is to have certain arms of salvation which God
gives only to those whose salvation he wills in a special
II.
Confidence that we should have in the Intercession of the
Mother of God.
Let us now pass to the confidence which we ought to
have in the intercession of Mary, on account of her power
and mercy.
I. As to her power. Cosmas of Jerusalem has called
the intercession of our Queen not only powerful, but
omnipotent.3 And Richard of St. Laurence has writ
ten: " From the omnipotent Son the Mother was made
omnipotent." The Son is omnipotent by nature, the
Mother by grace, inasmuch as she obtains from God
whatsoever she asks. That this grace has been given to
Mary we may infer from two reasons: first, because of
all creatures Mary has been the most faithful, and the
greatest lover of God. Hence, as Suarez says, the Lord
loves Mary more than all the other saints and all the
angels together. St. Bridget heard our Lord one day
saying to his Mother: " Mother, ask what thou desirest
1 " In mare mundi submerguntur omnes illi, quos non suscipit Navis
ista."— DC Laud, B. M. 1. n.
2 Crasset, Ve'r. DL!V. p. I, tr. i, q. 6.
3 " Omnipotens auxilium tuum, o Maria!" — Hymn. 6.
4 " Ab omnipotente Filio omnipotens Mater est effecta." — DC Laud.
B. M. 1. 4.
INSTR. xi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 4 1 5
of Me; for thy petition cannot be in vain. . . ." Then
he added: " For since on earth thou didst deny Me
nothing, I will not deny thee anything in heaven."1
The second reason is, that Mary is a mother: hence St.
Antonine has said, that her prayers partake of the na
ture of a command, because they are the prayers of a
mother.2 St. John Damascene says: " O Lady, thou
hast all power to save sinners; thou needest no other
recommendation to God, since thou art his mother."3
And St. George of Nicomedia has written, that Jesus
Christ, in order to discharge the obligations that he
owed in a certain manner to Mary for having given
him his human nature, grants whatever she asks from
him.4 Hence St. Peter Damian has gone so far as to
say, that when Mary goes to Jesus to ask a favor for
any of her clients " she approaches the altar of human
reconciliation; not asking, but commanding, not as a
servant, but as a mistress; for the Son honors her by
not refusing her anything." '
From the time that Mary was on this earth she had
the privilege of having all her prayers heard by her Son.
Speaking of Mary's request 6 to Jesus to provide wine
when it failed at the marriage of Cana in Galilee, St.
John Chrysostom says, that though the Redeemer ap
peared to refuse the favor, saying: Woman, what is to
1 " Mater, pete quod vis a me; non enim inanis potest esse petitio
tua. Quia tu mihi nihil negasti in terra, ego tibi nihil negabo in coelo."
— Rev. 1. 6, c. 23; 1. I, c. 24.
2 " Oratio Deiparae habet rationem imperii; unde impossibile est earn
non exaudiri." — P. 4, t. 15, c. 17, §. 4.
a In Dorm. B. V. s. 2.
4 " Filius, quasi exsolvens debitum, petitiones tuas implet."— Orat.
dc Ingr. B. V.
5 " Accedis ante illud humanae reconciliationis Altare, non solum
rogans, sed imperans, Domina, non ancilla; nam Filius, nihil negans,
honorat te." — In Nat, B. V. s. i.
6 " Vinum non habent." — John, ii. 3.
4 1 6 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
Me and to thee ? My hour has not yet come? still he granted
the petition of his mother.2
The prayers of Mary, says St. Germanus, obtain great
graces for the most abandoned sinners, because they
are prayers accompanied with the authority of a mother/'
In a word, there is no one, however wicked, whom
Mary does not save by herintercession when she wishes.
Hence St. George, Archbishop of Nicomedia, says, O
great Mother of God: " Thou hast insuperable strength,
since the multitude of our sins does not outweigh thy
clemency. Nothing resists thy power, for the Creator
regards thy honor as his own."4 To thee, then, O my
Queen, says St. Peter Damian, nothing is impossible,
since thou canst succor and save even those that are in
despair.5
II. But if Mary is powerful, and able to save us by
her intercession, she is equally merciful, and willing to
obtain our salvation: "Neither the power nor the will
is wanting to her," 6 says St. Bernard. She is called the
Mother of Mercy, because her compassion for us makes
her love and assist us as a mother assists a sick child.
The love of all mothers together, according to Father
Nieremberg,7 is not equal to the love which Mary bears
1 "Quid mihi et tibi est, mulier ? nondum venit hora mea."
2 " Et licet ita respondent, maternis tamen precibus obtemperavit."
— In Jo . horn. 21.
3 " Tu autem, materna in Deum auctoritate pollens, etiam iis, qui
enormiter peccant, gratiam concilias; non enim potesnonexaudiri, cum
Deus tibi, ut verse et intemeratae Matri, in omnibus morem gerat." — In
Dorm. Dcip. s. 2.
4 " Habes vires insuperabiles, ne clementiam tuam superet multitudo
peccatorum. Nihil tuae resistit potentiae; tuam enim gloriam Creator
existimat esse propriam." — Or. de Ingr. B. V.
5 " Nihil tibi impossibile, cui possibile est desperates in spem beati-
tudinis relevare." — DC Nat. B. V. s. I.
6 " Nee facultas ei deesse poterit, nee voluntas. " — In Assumpt. s. I.
1 DC Aff. crga B. V. c. 14.
INSTR. xi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 4 1 7
a client that recommends himself to her. Hence she is
compared to a fair olive tree: As a fair olive tree in the
plains.1 " In the plains," says Cardinal Hugo, " that all
may look upon her, that all may have recourse to her."2
As the olive gives oil, the symbol of mercy, to him who
possesses it, so Mary pours her mercies on all who have
recourse to her.
Blessed Amedeus has written, that our Queen is con
tinually praying for us in heaven.3 And before him
Venerable Bede said: "Mary stands before her Son and
does not cease to pray for sinners."4 St. Bernard asks,
What else but mercy can flow from the fountain of
mercy?5 St. Bridget once heard our Saviour saying to
Mary: "Mother, ask what you wish of me."6 Mary
answered: "I ask mercy for the miserable."7 As if she
said: Son, since you have made me the Mother of
Mercy, what will I ask of you ? Nothing else than
mercy for miserable sinners. The great charity, says
St. Bernard, that reigns in the heart of Mary for all,
obliges her to open to all the bosom of mercy.8
St. Bonaventure says that, looking at Mary, he ap
peared no longer to behold the divine justice that terri
fied him, but only the divine mercy that God has placed
" Quasi oliva speciosa in campis. " — Ecclus. xxiv. 19.
2 " ' In campis,' ut omnes earn respiciant, omnes ad earn confugiant. "
3 "Adstat Beatissima Virgo vultui Conditoris, prece potentissima
semper interpellans pro nobis."
"Stat Maria in conspectu Filii sui, non cessans pro peccatoribus
exorare."
" Quid de fonte pietatis procederet, nisi pietas ?" — Dom. i p.
Epiph. s. i
" Mater, pete quod vis a me." — Rev. 1. 6, c. 23.
" Misericordiam peto miseris." — Ib. 1. i, c. 50.
Sapientibus et insipientibus copiosissima charitate debitricem se
fecit; omnibus misericordiae sinum aperit, ut de plenitudine ejus acci-
piant universi." — In Sign. magn.
27
41 8 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
in the hands of Mary, that she may assist the miserable.1
And St. Leo has said that Mary is so full of mercy that
she is called mercy itself.2 And who after Jesus, ex
claims St. Germanus, is so solicitous for our welfare as
thou, O Mother of Mercy?3 Speaking of Mary, St.
Augustine says: "We acknowledge that one, namely,
that thou alone, takest care of us in heaven. >M As if he
said: O Mother of God, it is true that all the saints love
our salvation, but thy charity, in assisting us from heaven,
with so much love, and heaping on us so many graces,
which thou continually obtainest for us, compels us to
confess, that it is thou alone who truly loves us, and
anxiously seeks our welfare. St. Germanus adds: "Her
defence of us is never satisfied."1 Mary prays inces
santly for us; she repeats her prayers, and is never tired
praying in our defence.
Bernardine De Bustis says that Mary is more desirous
of dispensing graces to us than we are of receiving
them/' The same author says that as the devil, accord
ing to St. Peter, goes about seeking whom he may de
vour,7 so Mary goes about seeking whom she may save.8
1 " Certe, Domina ! cum te aspicio, nihil nisi misericordiam cerno;
nam pro miseris Mater Dei facta es, et tibi miserendi est officium com-
missum." — Stim. div. am. p. 3, c. 19.
2 "Maria adeo praedita est misericordise visceribus, ut, non tantum
misericors, sed ipsa Misericordia dici promereatur."
3 "Quis, post Filium tuum, curam gerit generis humani, sicut tu?
Quis ita nos defendit in nostris affiictionibus ? Quis pugnat pro pecca-
toribus? Propterea, patrocinium tuum majus est, quam comprehend i
possit.''— De Zona Deip.
4 "Te solam, o Maria ! pro Sa-ncta Ecclesia sollicitam prae omnibus
Sanctis scimus." — S. Bonav. Spec. B. V. lect. 6.
5 " Non est satietas defensionis ejus." — De Zona Deip.
6 " Plus desiderat ipsa facere tibi bonum et largiri gratiam, quam tu
accipere concupiscas."
7 " Circuit quaerens quem devoret." — i Pet. v. 8.
8 " Ipsa semper circuit quaerens quem salvet." — Maria I p. 2, s 5;
p. 3, s- I-
INSTR. xi.i Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 419
Who, I ask, receives grace from Mary? — he who wishes
for them. A holy soul used to say, to obtain graces
through Mary it is enough to ask them. And St. Ilde-
phonsus has written, that we ought to ask nothing of
Mary but to pray for us; for by her prayers she will
obtain for us greater graces than we could ask.1 How,
then, does it happen that there are many who do not
receive graces through the prayers of Mary? Because
they do not wish for them. He who is attached to any
passion, to self-interest, to ambition, to an inordinate
affection, does not wish for grace to be delivered from
it, and therefore he does not ask it: had he asked it of
Mary, she would certainly have obtained it for him.
But miserable and unhappy the man, said the Holy
Virgin to St. Bridget, who, having it in his power to
have recourse to me in this life, shall, through his own
fault remain miserably in his sins and in the state of
perdition.2 A time shall come when he would wish, but
will not be able, to have recourse to her.
Ah ! let us not expose ourselves to this great danger.
Let us always have recourse to this divine Mother, who
knows not how to let any one who invokes her aid de
part without consolation, says Blosius.3 Mary is always
ready, as Richard of St. Laurence says, to assist those
who ask her prayers.4 According to Richard of St.
Victor, Mary's tenderness prevents our supplications,
and procures aid for us before we pray to her. Because,
adds the same author, Mary is so full of mercy that she
1 " Majori devotione orabis pro me, quam ego auderem petere; et
majora etiam impetrabis mihi, quam petere pnesumam." — De Rhet.
div. c. 1 8.
" Ideo miser erit, qui ad misericordiam, cum possit, non accedit!" —
Rev. 1. 2, c. 23.
3 " Adeo feci earn mitem, ut neminem a se redire tristem sinat." —
Alloq. 1. i, p. 4, can. 12.
4 "Semper paratam auxiliari." — De Laud. B. M. 1. 2, p. i.
420 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
cannot see our miseries without coming to our re
lief.1
And who, exclaims Innocent III., has ever had recourse
to Mary without being heard?'2 Who, says Blessed
Eutichianus, has ever sought her aid and has been
abandoned by her?3 St. Bernard has written: "O holy
Virgin, if a man has been ever found who, after invoking
your aid, remembers not to have obtained relief, I am
satisfied that he should cease to praise your mercy.4
No: such a case has never occurred, and never shall
occur; for, says St. Bonaventure, Mary cannot but pity
and relieve the miserable.5 Hence the saint has said,
that this Mother of mercy, who so ardently desires to
assist us and to see us saved, is offended not only by
those who do her a positive injury, but also by those
who neglect to ask favors from her.6
Let us then have recourse to Mary; and in seeing
that our sins render us unworthy to be heard, let us not
distrust her clemency. Our Lord revealed to St. Bridget
that Mary would have saved Lucifer by her intercession
had that haughty demon humbled himself and had re
course to her.7 And the Virgin herself said to the same
1 "A Deo pietate replentur ubera tua, ut, alicujus miseriae notitia
tacta, lac fundant misericordiae, nee possis miserias scire et non sub-
venire." — In Cant. c. 23.
2 "Quis invocavit earn, et non est exauditus ab ipsa?" — De A ssumpt.
s. 2.
3 " Quis, o Domina ! fideliter omnipotentem tuam rogavit opem, et
fuit derelictus ? revera nullus unquam." — Surius, 4 Febr. Vit. S. Theoph.
4 " Sileat misericordiam tuam, Virgo Beata, qui invocatam te in neces-
sitatibus suis sibi meminerit defuisse." — De Assttmpt. s. 4.
5 " Ipsa enim non misereri ignorat, et miseris non satisfacere nun-
quam scivit." — Stint, am. p. 3, c. 13.
6 " In te, Domina, peccant, non solum qui tibi injuriam irrogant, sed
etiam qui te non rogant."
7 " Etiam diabolo exhiberes misericordiam, si humiliter peteret." —
Rev. extr. c. 50.
INSTR. xi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 42 1
St. Bridget, that when a sinner casts himself at her feet
she regards not his sins, but the intention with which he
comes. If he comes with a determination to change his
life, she heals and saves him.1 Hence St. Bonaventure
called Mary the salvation of them who invoke her.2 He
that has recourse to Mary shall be saved.
III.
Practice of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
I repeat, then, let us always have recourse to this great
Mother of God, imploring her to protect us. But the
better to gain her protection, let us endeavor to perform
in her honor as many pious exercises as we can. That
ardently devoted servant of Mary, Brother John Berch-
mans, of the Society of Jesus, being asked at death by
his companions what they should do in order to obtain
the favor of Mary, said: "However little it may be,
provided it be done with perseverance."5 Every little
act of devotion is sufficient to secure the patronage of
this divine Mother. She is content with any little exer
cise, provided it be constant; for, as St. Andrew of Crete
says, she is so liberal that she is accustomed to reward
the smallest homage by obtaining abundant graces.4
But we should not be content with small things: let us
at least offer her all the acts of devotion which her
clients ordinarily perform in her honor; such as, to re
cite the Rosary every day, to perform the Novenas of
1 " Quantumcumque homo peccet, si ex vera emendatione ad me
reversus fuerit, statim parata sum recipere revertentem; nee attendo
quantum peccaverit, sed cum quali voluntate venit; nam non dedignor
ejus plagas ungere et sanare, quia vocor (et vere sum) Mater miseri
cord ise." — Rev. 1. 2, c. 23; 1. 6, c. 17.
2 " O Salus te invocantium r—Cant. p. Psalt.
3 "Quidquid minimum, dummodo sit constans."
4 " Cum sit rmgnificentissima, solet 'maxima pro minimis reddere." —
In Dorm. B. V. s. q,
422 Material for Institutions. [PART n.
her festivals, to fast on Saturday, to wear the Scapular,
to visit some image every day in her honor, asking her
to obtain some special grace, to read each day a book
that treats of her praises, to salute her in leaving and
returning home; rising in the morning and going to bed
at night, to put ourselves under her protection, by say
ing three " Hail Marys" in honor of her purity.
Even seculars practise these devotions; but we priests
can honor her much more by preaching her glories, and
by inculcating to others the advantages of being devoted
to her: They that explain Me shall have life everlasting?
She promises eternal life to him who endeavors in this
life to make others know and love her. Blessed Edminco,
Bishop, began every sermon by the praises of Mary. This
was so pleasing to the divine Mother, that she one day
said to St. Bridget: " Tell that prelate that I will be a
mother to him, and that at death I will present his soul
to my Son."5 Oh, what pleasure would a priest give to
Mary, if every Saturday he made a short discourse to
the people on devotion to her, and especially on her
tender compassion for us, and her desire to assist all
who pray to her ! For, as St. Bernard says, it is the
mercy of Mary that inspires in the people the greatest
affection for her devotion. Let preachers at least en
deavor in every sermon, before the conclusion, to exhort
the hearers to have recourse to most holy Mary, and to
ask some favor from her:
In a word, Richard of St. Laurence says that he who
honors Mary acquires treasures of eternal life.3 For
this purpose I published some years since a book en
titled the Glories of Mary, and I endeavored to enrich it
1 " Qui elucidant me, vitam aeternam habebunt." — Ecclus. xxiv. 31.
2 Rev. cxtr. c. 104. •
3 " Honorare Mariarn, thesaurizare est sibi vitam aeternam." — De
Laud, B, M. 1. 2, p. I.
INSTR. xi.i Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 423
with authorities from Scriptures and the holy Fathers,
with examples and devout practices, not only that it
might be useful to all as a book for spiritual reading,
but particularly that it might supply priests with abun
dant matter for preaching the praises of Mary, and in
spiring the people with devotion to her.
APPENDIX.
St. Alphonsus himself has added, as an appendix to his
Collection of Materials for Ecclesiastical Retreats, the
three following little works: RULE OF LIFE, SPIRITUAL
RULES, and SPIRITUAL MAXIMS. To them we have add
ed an EXHORTATION TO YOUNG MEN WHO ARE DEVOTING
THEMSELVES TO THE STUDY OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL
SCIENCES. — EDITOR.
little of £ife for a Serttlar Priest,
i.
Morning Exercises.
i. THE FIRST ACTS ON RISING.
IN the morning on rising the priest shall make acts of
thanksgiving, of love, and of oblation of all that he is to
do arid to suffer during the day. He shall finish by a
prayer to God and to the Blessed Virgin, in order to
obtain the grace of not falling into sin.
These acts may be thus formulated:1
0 my God ! prostrate in Thy presence, I adore Thy
infinite Majesty, and I submit myself entirely to Thee.
1 believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, and I love Thee
with my whole heart.
I thank Thee for all Thy benefits, and especially for
having preserved me during this night.
I offer Thee all my thoughts, words, actions, and
sufferings of this day in union with those of Jesus and
of Mary.
I intend to gain all the indulgences that I can gain,
and to apply them to the souls in purgatory.
0 my God ! for the love of Jesus Christ, deliver me
from every sin. O my Jesus ! by Thy merits make me
li^e united to Thee. Mary, my Mother, bless me, and
protect me under thy mantle. My holy guardian angel,
and all my holy patrons, intercede for me. Amen.
Here recite the " Hail Mary" three times in honor of
the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
1 We have thought it useful to add here the formula which the saint
gives elsewhere in several places. — ED.
428 Appendix.
2. MENTAL PRAYER.
The priest shall begin the day by a half-hour's medi
tation on the eternal truths, or on the Passion of Jesus
Christ. Meditation on the Passion of our Lord is more
especially suitable to a priest before celebrating Mass,
since he is about to renew at the altar the memory of it
by offering to God the same victim and the same sacri
fice. During meditation, after having read the subject,
he should endeavor to make acts of sorrow and of love,
and frequently offer to God prayers in order to obtain
perseverance in his grace and his divine love. Let him
guard against abandoning meditation, however great
the disgust and the pain he may experience during it; if
he abandons the practice of meditation, he will be ex
posed to the greatest danger of losing God. Even
when he is able to say only these words: O my God,
help me ! O my Jesus, mercy ! — his meditation will be
excellent, and will profit him much.
In order to be more recollected in meditation, let him
shut himself up in some place where he may find him
self alone with the crucifix. For this purpose he shall
endeavor to have a separate room; and if he cannot
have it, let him go to the church to make his meditation
there rather than make it at home amid the noise made
by persons who pass in and out, and who talk.1
3. THE HOLY MASS.
After meditation, he shall recite the Little Hours as
far as None; then he shall celebrate Mass. In order to
say Mass with greater recollection, it would be expedi-
1 To understand this passage and others of a like nature, we must
know that many secular priests in Italy remained with their families,
having no special employment; this was the case with St. Alphonsus
himself at the beginning of his priestly life. — ED.
Rule of Life. 429
ent, if there be no obstacle, to say Mass before all other
occupations of the day.
Besides the meditation one should not fail to make a
short preparation for Mass by reanimating one's faith in
the great mystery that one is about to celebrate; one
should make at least three acts: of love, of contrition,
and of desire to be united to Jesus Christ.
After Mass one should not omit to make thanksgiving,
of an hour or at least of half an hour, by applying one's
self during that time to the making of acts of love, of
the offering of one's self, and of petition. The time that
follows Mass is a time for amassing treasures of grace.
When one is in a state of interior dryness, not knowing
what to do with one's self, one may at least read out of
some book pious affections to Jesus Christ.
4. CONFESSIONS AND STUDY.
After having made his thanksgiving,1 the priest shall
go to the confessional if he is a confessor. It must here
be observed that on days on which there is a great con
course of people, as on festivals, he may shorten his
thanksgiving in order to hear confessions; but this only
holds good for similar cases that are rare. Usually
the confessor should not omit his thanksgiving after
Mass in order that penitents may not be obliged to wait
for him. However, when there come to confession men
that are not accustomed to frequent the sacraments, it
will be better if he hears them before Mass; because
such persons have not the patience to wait; and if they
do not confess on that day, God knows when they will
confess.
As for the priest who is not a confessor, he shall retire
in order to attend to his studies. He should occupy
1 We may remark that nothing is said about breakfast, because in
Italy, generally, no meal is taken as in the countries of the north, but
dinner is taken earlier. — ED.
43° Appendix.
himself in the study of Moral Theology, so as to become
capable of administering the sacrament of penance, in
the composition of sermons, or in similar things that
may serve for his own instruction or for the good of
souls.
5. REMARK IN REGARD TO THE ORDER OF THE EXERCISES.
It must here be observed that we do not ask that al
the exercises of which this Rule speaks should be per
formed in the order in which they are here mentioned.
Provided that they are performed in the course of the
day, it is sufficient; it matters little whether one takes
place before the other according to one's convenience.
Thus, for example, in winter, when the days are longer,
one may, after meditation and the Office, study for an
hour or two. For the rest, a priest that wishes to lead
a life worthy of his state should fix the time and the
hour of all his exercises so that everything may be done
in a regular order. Let him not act as some who follow
no order in all that they do. The life that is without a
rule is an image of hell, which is described by Job: A
land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of death, and
no order, but everlasting horror dwelleth?
6. DINNER.
The hour of dinner having come, he shall eat moder
ately, as is becoming a priest: he should not imitate cer
tain gluttonous priests who wish that the whole house
should busy itself about preparing different kinds of food
which they ordered in the morning, and when at dinner
they do not find the food to be according to their taste,
they grow angry, and excite a commotion among their
servants and relatives. St. Philip Neri says: "He that
seeks to gratify his palate will never become a saint."
1 " Terram miserise et tenebrarum, ubi umbra mortis, et nullus orao,
sed sempiternus horror inhabitat." — Job, x. 22.
Rule of Life. 431
And if the priest should be temperate in eating, he
should be particularly so in the use of wine, the excess
of which is most pernicious to virtue, especially to the
virtue of chastity.
On Saturdays, let him endeavor, in honor of the
Blessed Virgin, to keep at least the common fast, if he
thinks that he cannot fast on bread and water; let him,
however, be content on that day with one course. More
over, on some other days of the week, as on Wednesday
and Friday, as also in all the Novenas of our Lady, let
him at least deprive himself of something at table.
II.
Exercises after Dinner,
i. SPIRITUAL READING.
After the needed rest, the priest shall recite Vespers
and Compline, and shall afterwards make a half-hour's
spiritual reading. For the spiritual reading he may use
the Knowledge and Love of Jesus Christ by Father St.
Jure, or Christian Perfection by Father Rodriguez, —
books that are filled with piety and unction. He may
also read other works; * but let him, above all, read the
lives of the saints, as the life of St. Philip Neri, of St.
Francis Borgia, of St. Peter of Alcantara, and the like.
In the books that treat of spirituality we see virtues in
theory, while in the lives of the saints we see them in
practice; and this will stimulate us more efficaciously
to imitate the saints. St. Philip Neri never ceased to
exhort his penitents to read the lives of the saints.
How many saints, such as St. John Colombini, St. Ig
natius Loyola, St. Teresa, have been induced by the
1 It may perhaps be needless to recall here to mind the ascetical
works written by St. Alphonsus himself. Many well-instructed priests
avow that they seek no other books of piety, because they find all that
they desire in those of the holy bishop, who seems to have provided for
all the wants of the soul. — ED.
432 Appendix.
reading of such books to consecrate themselves entirely
to God !
2. THE VISIT TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT AND TO THE BLESSED
VIRGIN.
After the spiritual reading he shall pay a visit to the
Blessed Sacrament. Many of the faithful are very exact
in performing this exercise every day, and never omit
doing so, no matter how they may be inconvenienced
thereby; but it is rare, and even very rare, to find secu
lar priests who do so. It must be confessed that Jesus
Christ is unfortunate in his priests ! All this comes
from the little love that priests have for him. He that
tenderly loves a friend, seeks to see him as often as he
can, especially when his visits are most agreeable to this
friend.
By this visit I do not mean only a few " Our Fathers"
said in passing and with distraction before the altar.
It consists in occupying one's self during some time in
making pious affections to Jesus Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament, and in asking of him graces, especially the
grace of final perseverance and of his holy love. Alas !
who should entertain himself oftener and longer than
a priest who every day makes Jesus come down from
heaven to the earth, takes him in his hands, partakes of
his adorable flesh, and moreover for his own benefit shuts
him up in the tabernacle where he may find him present
every time that he wishes ?
After the visit to the Blessed Sacrament he should not
omit to make, in the same church, his visit to the Mother
of God, before some image that inspires him with the
greatest devotion.1
1 We all know the Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed
Virgin which are found in Volume VI. This precious little work is
also published separately. — ED.
Rule of Life. 433
3. RECREATION.
He may then recreate himself for some time by walk
ing either in the country or on some solitary road, in
company with a Father or some other spiritual person
who speaks of God and not of the world. In the absence
of such a person he should walk alone; for if he is ac
companied by some secular he will soon lose all the
recollection that he has found in his exercises of piety.
If in his moments of leisure he visits the place where the
moral conference is held, he will do better; he will find
there recreation, and what will be profitable to him.
III.
Exercises of the Evening.
i. BEFORE SUPPER.
Towards evening it is befitting that the priest should
make another half-hour's meditation; it will be better if
he makes it when possible with all the persons of the
house, reading the points of meditation himself, and fin
ishing by reciting the Christian acts.
Then he should recite Matins and Lauds, and after
wards devote himself to another hour's study.
Afterwards he shall recite five decades of the Rosary,
also with the people of the house, taking care to announce
the mysteries on which the meditation should be made;
he shall finish by saying the Litany of the Blessed Virgin
2. SUPPER.
The Rosary shall be followed by supper. He should
observe greater sobriety at supper than at dinner; for if
in the evening one takes too much food, it will happen
that in the morning, when so many important duties are
to be fulfilled, — meditation, the saying of Mass, the hear
ing of confessions, — one will suffer not only in the
434 Appendix.
stomach, but also in the head, so that everything will be
done with distraction and tepidity, -and the half of it
will be lost.
3. THE LAST ACTS BEFORE GOING TO BED.
After supper the priest shall make the examination of
conscience, to be followed by the act of contrition and
by other pious acts; then after having recited, with the
face on the floor, the " Hail Mary" three times, and after
the usual practices in honor of the holy patrons, he
should go to bed.
The following is the act that we may recite before
going to bed: 1
0 my God ! I thank Thee for having preserved me
this day, and I beseech Thee to vouchsafe to preserve
me also this night, and to protect me from all evil. I
take this repose in order to please Thee, and I intend
each moment that I breathe to love and praise Thee, as
is done by the saints and the elect in heaven.
Mary, my Mother, bless me, and protect me under
thy mantle. My angel guardian, and all my holy
Patrons, intercede for me.
IV.
Exercises that are not Performed Every Day.
i. CONFESSION.
The priest should confess twice or at least once a
week. He should not fail to have a particular Director,
on whom it will be his duty to depend in all his spiritual
exercises, and even in all the temporal affairs that may
be of profit to his soul.
2. THE MONTHLY RETREAT.
Every month he shall make a day of retreat; on this
day he should keep aloof from all temporal affairs, and
1 We add this simple formula as we have done above for the morn
ing exercise. — ED.
Rule of Life. 435
even from spiritual occupations that regard his neighbor.
Having retired to his own home or to some religious
house, he shall occupy himself in silence only with him
self, consecrating the whole day to prayer, to spiritual
reading, to visiting the Blessed Sacrament, and to other
similar exercises. Oh what strength does not the soul
draw from these retreats, to be able to unite itself inti
mately with God, and to walk more fervently in the ways
of the Lord on the following days ! 1
3. SPECIAL COUNSELS.
In temptations, especially in those against purity, he
shall renew the resolution to suffer rather a thousand
deaths than to offend God; then he shall have recourse
at once to Jesus and to Mary by invoking their holy
names until the violence of the temptation has subsided.
He should be careful to dress modestly, always wear
ing long clothes, and never those that are of silk.
Let him keep from all banquets, the amusements of
the world, the reunions with seculars, especially where
there are women.
1 There is no question here of the annual retreat. — ED.
436 Appendix.
Spiritual ftuies for a Driest rolio Aspires to perfection.
i. To AVOID SIN, AND TROUBLE AFTER SIN.
A PRIEST who aspires to perfection and desires to
sanctify himself should, above all, endeavor to avoid
more than death the least deliberate venial sin. In the
present state of human frailty, since Adam's sin, no one
can, and no one ever could, with the exception only of
Jesus Christ and his most Blessed Mother, be exempt
from all indeliberate venial faults. With the help of God,
however, every one can avoid every deliberate fault;
that is to say, committed with full advertence and con
sent; thus the saints have acted. He, therefore, who
tends to perfection should make up his mind rather to
allow himself to be cut to pieces than to tell, with full
knowledge, a lie, or to commit any other venial sin, how
ever small it may be.
Such should be his resolution; but if unfortunately
he happens to fall into a fault, either deliberate or inde
liberate, let him beware of troubling and disquieting
himself. Disquietude does not come from God; it is a
smoke that comes only from the abode of disquietude
itself, namely, from hell; and it comes to us from that
place because, as St. Aloysius has justly said, the
devil always finds something to fish in troubled waters.
When one has, for example, committed a fault one is
troubled, and one is troubled because one has been
troubled. In this state of disquietude we shall not only
be unable to do any good, but we shall also easily com
mit many other faults, either of impatience or of some
other kind. Hence, as soon as the fault has been com-
Spiritual Rules. 437
mitted, we must humble ourselves and immediately have
recourse to God by making an act of love or of contri
tion with the firm purpose of amendment; then we ask
with confidence for the grace of which we stand in need
by saying: O Lord ! see what I am able to do; and if
Thou withdrawest Thy hand from me I shall do still
worse. I love Thee; I repent of the displeasure that I
have caused Thee, and I will do so no more; grant me
the help that I hope to receive from Thy goodness.
After having done this we should be calm, as if we
had not committed any fault; and if we fall back, even
on the same day, let us do the same thing. Should we
even fall a hundred times, we should always act in the
same way, namely, we should humble ourselves, we
should rise again, we must never remain down.
It must be observed that to trouble one's self after a
fault has been committed is an effect not of humility,
but of pride; since we are sorry for the fault not be
cause we have offended God, but rather because we are
ashamed to appear before him so defiled. The priest
should, therefore, never trouble himself on account of
the faults into which he falls; but let him humble him
self, acknowledging himself capable of committing these
and other faults. Let him then make an act of love of
God; thus this sin, instead of removing him from God,
will serve only the more to unite him more closely to
him, according to what the Apostle says: All things —
" even sins," 1 the Gloss adds — work together unto good?
2. EFFICACIOUS DESIRE TO ADVANCE IN THE LOVE OF GOD.
Let him desire to advance without ceasing in the
love of God. Not to wish to advance in perfection,
which consists in the love of God, is to wish to go back
ward, says St. Augustine.3 He that moves against the
1 " Etiam peccata."
2 "Omnia cooperantur in bonum." — Rom. viii. 23.
3 " Non progredi, jam reverti est." — Epist. 17, E. B. app.
438 Appendix.
current of a river, and does not make continual efforts
against the movement of the waters, will be driven back.
The same thing happens to us when we cease to strug
gle with the concupiscence of the flesh.
Holy -desires render our efforts easier, and help us to
move forward; but it is necessary that these desires be
firm and efficacious — that is to say, that they be put in
practice as much as possible. They should not resemble
the desires of those that are content with saying, for
example: Oh! if I had no brothers, no nephews, I would
enter religion; if I had health, I would do this or that
penance; and in the mean time these p.ersons do not
take a step forward in the way of God: on the contrary,
they always commit the same faults, always keeping up
the same attachments and the same animosities, and go
from bad to worse.
It is therefore necessary that we advance in divine
love, but with the resolution to do on our part all that
we can to attain this end. We must, however, entirely
mistrust our own strength, and trust only in God; for as
soon as we trust in ourselves we remain deprived of the
help of grace.
3. DEVOTION TO THE PASSION OF OUR LORD AND TO THE BLESSED
SACRAMENT.
To advance in perfection the priest must, moreover,
entertain a great devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ
and to the Blessed Sacrament. When we consider these
two great mysteries of love, in which a God, to make
himself loved, gives his life and makes himself the food
of a worm of the earth, his creature, we cannot live
without being inflamed with love for Jesus Christ.
For the charity of Christ presseth us.1 He that thinks of
the love of Jesus Christ will feel himself, as it were,
forced to love him. St. Bonaventure call the wounds
1 " Charkas enim Christi urget nos." — 2 Car., v. 14.
Spiritual Rides. 439
of Jesus the wounds that wound the most hardened
hearts, and that inflame with love for God the coldest
souls.1
Let the priest, then, always make as a usual thing,
every day, a half-hour's meditation on the Passion of
Jesus Christ. Let him, besides, make during the day
frequent acts of love to this good Master, beginning
them on awakening in the morning, and endeavoring at
night to fall asleep while making them. St. Teresa
said that acts of love are the wood that keeps up in the
heart the sweet fire of divine love. The act of love of
God that is more especially agreeable to God is the
offering that we make to him of ourselves by offering
to do and to suffer all that will please him. St. Teresa
repeated this act at least fifty times a day.
4. THE INTENTION OF DOING ALL FOR GOD.
The priest should in all his actions take care to make
his intention to do for God alone all that he does. The
right intention is called by the masters of spiritual life
a heavenly alchemy, which converts into gold all our
actions, even corporal alleviations, such as sleep, eating,
and recreation. But it is particularly necessary that
the exercises of piety should be performed only to please
God, and not for any interested motive, either of vain
glory or self-satisfaction; otherwise all will be lost, and
instead of a reward we shall receive only punishment.
This is the reason why, in order to do surely for God all
that we do, it is important that we always act in de
pendence on our director.
5. LOVE OF SOLITUDE AND OF SILENCE.
It is necessary that the priest should be a friend of
solitude and of silence. He that treats too much with
1 " Vulnera corda saxea vulnerantia, et mentes congelatas inflam-
mantia." — Stim. div. am. p. !„ c. I.
44-O Appendix.
men, and speaks too much with them, will do well to be
cautious; he will with difficulty escape sin: In the multi
tude of words there shall not want sin.1 For this reason
the Lord says: In silence and in hope shall your strength
be? Our strength against temptations is in confidence
in God and in detachment from the society of creatures.
Moreover, he that speaks much with men will rarely
speak and treat with God. In solitude the Lord speaks
and converses familiarly with souls, in accordance with
the saying of St Jerome; "O solitude, in which God fa
miliarly converses with his creatures!"3 And he himself
has informed us that it is in solitude that he speaks to
our hearts: I will lead her into the wilderness; and I will
speak to her heart? Thus we see souls that burn with
the love of God always seeking solitude. The saints
went to bury themselves in the forests and in the most
frightful caverns, in order not to be troubled by the
noise of the world and in order to converse only with
God. " Silence and rest from noise," said St. Bernard,
"as it were, forces the soul to converse with God."5
Nevertheless the virtue of silence does not consist in
always keeping silence, but in being silent when it is
expedient. A good priest is silent when he should be
silent, and speaks when he should speak; but he speaks
only of God or of what concerns the glory of God and the
good of souls. Often a word about God spoken famil
iarly in conversation will produce more fruit than many
sermons. We should therefore be careful in all our
conversations, however indifferent they may be, to allow
some edifying word to glide into it on the eternal truths
1 " In multiloquio non deerit peccatum." — Prov. x. 19.
2 " In silentio et in spe erit fortitude vestra." — Is. xxx. 15.
3 " O solitude, in qua Deus cum suis familiariter loquitur ac con-
versatur!"
4 " Ducam earn in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor ejus." — Os. ii. 14.
6 " Silentiura. et a strepitu quies cogit coelestia meditari." — Epist. 78.
Spiritual Rules. 44 1
or on the love of God. When we love a person, we
always wish to speak of him and to hear others speak
of him; when we love God, we do not wish to speak of
any one but of God, and we do not wish to hear any one
spoken of except God.
6. CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD.
The love of God consists above all in conformity to
his holy will, especially in regard to things that are
mostly contrary to self-love, such as sickness, poverty,
contempt, persecutions, spiritual aridities. We should
be persuaded that all that comes from God is useful to
us, since all that he does, he does for our own good; for
there is no one that loves us more than God. If we
wish to sanctify ourselves, let us say in all that happens
to us: May Thy will be done! May the name of the
Lord be blessed. O Lord! what wilt Thou have me do ?
As it pleases the Lord, so let it be done. Let it be
thus, O Father! because it was thus pleasing to Thee.
In all the occurrences of life, whether agreeable or
disagreeable, let us endeavor to preserve this continual
peace and this unalterable tranquillity, of which the
saints have given us the example, always saying: In
peace in the self -same I will sleep and I will rest.1 A soul
that loves God, always united with its Lord, leads a
uniform life. This is what is said by that great servant
of God, Cardinal Petrucci, when speaking of the words
of the Holy Ghost: Whatsoever shall befall the just, it shall
not make him sad?
Thus a priest that loves God will never be afflicted.
Sin only should cause him sorrow; but even this sorrow,
as we have said above, should be a tranquil sorrow, that
does not trouble the peace of the soul.
1 " In pace in idipsum dormiam et requiescam." — Ps. iv. 9.
2 " Non contristabit justum quidquid ei accident." — Prov. xii. 21.
44 2 Appendix.
7. DESIRE FOR DEATH.
The priest should often desire paradise, and conse
quently death itself, in order promptly to go to heaven,
where he may love Jesus Christ with all his strength
and during all eternity, without fear of ever losing him.
In the mean time he should conduct himself towards
God without reserve, not refusing him anything that he
knows will be more agreeable to him; and he should be
continually attentive to banish from his heart all that is
not God or for God.
8. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
He should endeavor to conceive a great confidence
and a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin. All the
saints are always fond of nourishing in their hearts a
filial piety towards this divine Mother. He should take
care to make every day a spiritual reading out of a book
that treats of the great confidence that we should have
in her powerful protection. He should never fail as
well as he is able to fast on Saturdays in her honor; and
in all her novenas he should at least practise some ab
stinence and some other mortification. He should never
omit to pay her a visit once or several times a day be
fore some devout image. He should speak to others as
much as he can of the confidence that we should have
in the protection of Mary, and should endeavor on
Saturdays to address in the church a little instruction
to the faithful, so as to excite their devotion towards
this charitable Queen; at least he should speak of her
in a special manner in every one of his sermons, and
recommend the same devotion to all his penitents and
to all persons. The more one loves Mary, the more one
loves God; for Mary draws to God all that love her.
St. Bonaventure says: "Because she was inflamed with
Spiritual Rules. 443
love, she also inflames all those that love her, and makes
them like herself."1
9. To BE HUMBLE OF HEART.
Let the priest endeavor to be humble of heart. Many
are humble in their speech, but not in their hearts; they
say that they are the greatest sinners in the world, that
they merit a thousand hells: nevertheless they wish to
be preferred, esteemed, and praised; they strive after
honorable employments; they cannot suffer a contemp
tuous word. The humble of heart do not act in this
manner: they never speak of their talents, of their
nobility, of their riches, or of anything that may be
turned to their advantage.
He should, therefore, love those employments and
those works that are most humble and are less con
spicuous. He should receive affronts without being
troubled; he should even feel interior pleasure in seeing
that he has become similar to Jesus Christ, who was
filled with reproaches. Therefore, when he meets with
some contradiction that wounds and irritates his pride
he should do violence to himself not to speak nor act
at that moment, even if he held the office of Superior,
and as such is obliged to reprimand the insolence of
him that offers the outrage. As long as he feels him
self agitated he should keep silence and wait till he
becomes calm, otherwise the smoke produced by his
trouble will obscure his vision; he will believe that
what he says or what he does is right, while all is
faulty and disorderly. Moreover, when the correction
is made amid agitation, the inferior will not receive it
as a deserved reprimand, but as a passionate outbreak
of temper on the part of the Superior; and this will
make the correction useless, or nearly so. For the same
Quia tola ardens fuit, omnes se amantes, eamque tangentes, ia-
cendit." — De B. V^ M. s_ i.
444 Appendix.
reason, when the Superior perceives that the inferior is
troubled, he should put off the reprimand and wait till
he has become calm; otherwise the inferior, blinded by
his passion, will not only not receive the correction, but
will even be moved to greater passion.
10. To RENDER GOOD FOR EVIL.
The priest should try to be ready to assist every one,
and especially to do good to him that has done him
wrong, at least by recommending him to God. This is
the way in which the saints take revenge.
ii. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION.
Let the priest be attentive to the practice of interior
and exterior mortification. It was recommended by
Jesus Christ when he said: Let him deny himself ? This
is absolutely necessary in order to attain sanctity.
Interior mortification exacts of us that we know how
to conquer ourselves by refusing all that satisfies only
our self-love. We should therefore abstain from every
action that has no other object than to satisfy curiosity,
ambition, or self-love.
We should also love exterior mortification, namely,
fasting, abstinence, disciplines, and the like. The saints
macerated their flesh as much as possible, that is to say,
as much as obedience permitted, and obedience is the rule
of the saints. As to him who, on account of ill-health,
cannot impose upon himself exterior mortifications,
he should embrace the pains and the inconveniences
that he has to suffer by endeavoring to support them
patiently and peacefully, and by refraining from mak
ing them known without necessity, and from complain
ing about the want of care on the part of the physicians
or persons of the house.
1 " Abneget semetipsum." — Matt, xvi. 24.
Spiritual Rules. 445
12. To PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
We must always pray and recommend ourselves to
God. All our good resolutions and all our promises
end in smoke when we neglect to pray; for by not
praying we are deprived of the necessary graces to
carry them out. / will cry like a young swallow.1 We
should always have the mouth open for prayer by say
ing: O Lord, help me! O Lord, mercy! O Lord, have
pity on me! Thus the saints have acted, and it is thus
that they sanctified themselves.
We should above all ask Jesus Christ for the gift of
his holy love. St. Francis de Sales said that this gift
includes all other gifts; for when we love God we try
to avoid all that which is disagreeable to him, and to
do all that we can do to please him. Let us also ask
always for the grace of having great confidence in the
Passion of Jesus Christ and in the intercession of Mary.
Let us, moreover, not cease to recommend to God the
poor souls in purgatory and poor sinners; for such
prayers are most pleasing to God.
1 "Sicut pullus hirundinis, sic clamabo." — Is. xxxviii. 14.
446 Appendix.
Spiritual lilajdms for priests.
1. To lose all rather than to lose God.
2. To displease every one rather than to displease
God.
3. It is only sin that we have to fear, and that should
grieve us.
4. To die rather than knowingly to commit a sin,
even if it were only a venial sin.
5. All things come to an end; the world is a scene
that passes very quickly.
6. Every moment is a treasure for eternity.
7. Everything that pleases God is good.
8. Do what you would wish to have done at the hour
of death.
9. Live as if there were no other beings in the world
except God and yourself.
10. God alone makes man contented.
IT. There is no other good than God; there is no
other evil than sin.
12. Never do anything for your own gratification.
13. The more one mortifies one's self in this life, the
more joy one shall have in the next.
14. To the friends of God the bitter is sweet, and the
sweet bitter.
15. He that wishes what God wishes has all that he
wishes.
16. The will of God renders sweet all that which is
bitter.
17. In sickness one may see who has real virtue.
18. Whoever desires nothing of this world has no
need of anything.
Spiritual Maxims. 447
19. Do not defer carrying out your good resolutions
if you do not wish to retrograde.
20. To trouble one's self about faults committed is
not humility, but pride.
21. We are only that which we are before God.
22. He that loves God desires to love rather than to
know.
23. He that wishes to sanctify himself should banish
from his heart all that which is not God.
24. One is not entirely for God when one seeks some
thing that is not God.
25. Pain, poverty, and humiliation were the com
panions of Jesus Christ; may they also be ours.
26. Mental agitation, whatever may have been the
cause, does not come from God.
27. The humble man believes himself unworthy of all
honor, and worthy of contempt.
28. When one thinks of hell, which one has deserved,
one suffers with resignation every pain. -
29. Forget yourself, and God will think of you.
30. Love contempt, and you will find God.
31. He that contents himself with that which is less
good is not far from evil.
32. God esteems but little him who seeks to be es
teemed.
33. The saints always speak of God; they always
speak ill of themselves, and always well of others.
34. The curious are always distracted.
35. Woe to him that loves health more than sanctity.
36. The devil is always in pursuit of the idle.
37. A vain priest is but the sport in the hand of the
devil.
38. He that wishes to live in peace ought to mortify
all his passions without excepting any one of them.
39. St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say: " The servant
of God speaks little, works much, bears all."
448 Appendix.
40. The saints try to be saints, and not merely to ap
pear to be saints.
41. We shall never reach any high degree of perfec
tion as long as we are not fond of prayer.
42. One must first be a reservoir to collect, and then
only can we be a canal to pour out.
43. Every attachment hinders us from belonging en
tirely to God.
44. The priest should not perceive anything but Jesus
Christ and the good pleasure of Jesus Christ.
45. In our actions that become conspicuous pride is
often hidden.
46. To offer one's self entirely to God is an .excellent
preparation for Communion.
47. When you walk in places that are inhabited keep
your eyes cast down; think that you are a priest, and
not a painter.
Exhortation to Young Students. 449
(£*I)0rtati0n to f otwg Iflen tofyo £3et)0te ®l)etttselt)es 10
tl)e Stub]} of tije Ecclesiastical Sciences.*
They should, above all, endeavor to make Progress in the
Science of the Saints.
ST. PAUL says, in speaking of worldly science: Knowl
edge puff eth up; but charity edifieth. And if any man think
that he knoweth anything, he hath not yet known as he ought
to know? Worldly science when united with divine love
is of great use for us and for others; but when it is
separated from charity, it causes us great injury by
rendering us proud and inciting us to despise others;
for as much as the Lord is lavish of his graces towards
the humble, so much is he chary of them towards the
proud.
Happy the man to whom God gives the science of the
saints, as he gave it to Jacob: She gave him the knowledge
of holy things.'' Scripture speaks of this gift as greater
than all other gifts. Oh how many men live full of
themselves because of their knowledge of mathematics,
belles-lettres, foreign languages, and antiquities, which
are of no service to religion, and are of no help as to
spiritual profit! Of what use is it to possess such a
science, to know so many fine things, if one does not
1 " Scientia inflat, charitas vero sedificat. Si quis autem se existimat
scire aliquid, nondum cognovit quemadmodum oporteat eum scire." —
I Cor. viii. i.
,- 2 " Dedit illi scientiam sanctorum." — Wisd. x. 10.
* In the Italian editions this Exhortation is joined as an appendix to
the Rules for Seminaries, which may be found in a subsequent volume.
—ED.
450 Appendix.
know how to love God and to practise virtue ? The
wise men of this world, who seek only to acquire a great
name, are deprived of the celestial lights that the Lord
gives to the simple: Thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent (the wise and prudent of the world),
and hast revealed them to the little ones.1 The little ones are
the simple minds that bestow all their care on pleasing
God alone.
St. Augustine proclaims him happy who knows God,
his grandeur, his goodness, even though he should be
ignorant of all other things: "Happy he that knows
Thee, although he knows nothing of those things."2 He
that knows God cannot but love him; now he that loves
God is wiser than all the men of letters that know not
how to love him. " The unlettered," exclaims the same
holy Doctor, " will rise up and bear away heaven."1
How many rustics, how many poor villagers, reach
sanctity and obtain eternal life, the enjoyment of which
for a moment is better than the acquisition of all the
goods of this world! The Apostle wrote to the Corin
thians: for I judged not Myself to know anything among
you but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified* How happy
should we be if we succeed in knowing Jesus crucified,
in knowing the love that he has borne us and the love
that he has merited for us by sacrificing for us his life
on the cross, and if by studying such a book we suc
ceed in loving him with an ardent love!
A great servant of God, Father Vincent Caraffa,
writing to some young ecclesiastics who were engaged
in studying to qualify themselves for the work of sav-
1 " Abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea par-
vulis." — Matt. xi. 25.
• " Beatus, qui te scit, etiamsi ilia nesciat." — Conf. \. 5, c. 4
3 " Surgunt indocti, et coelum rapiunt!" — Conf. 1. 8, c. 8.
4 " Non enim judicavi me scire aliquid inter vos, nisi Jesum Chris
turn, et hunc crucifixum." — I Cor. ii. 2.
Exhortation to Young Students. 45 1
ing souls, said to them: " To bring about great con
versions among souls it is better to be a man of much
prayer than a man of great eloquence; for the eternal
truths that convert souls are preached differently by
the heart than they are by the lips." The true minis
ters of the Gospel should, therefore, lead a life that
shows itself to be in agreement with what they teach;
they should, in a word, appear like men who, detached
from the world and the flesh, seek only to procure the
glory of God and to make him loved by all. This is
the reason why Father Caraffa added: " Bestow all your
care on giving yourself up to the exercise of divine
love; only the love of God, as soon as it possesses our
heart, detaches it from all inordinate love, and renders
it pure by stripping it of earthly affections." " A pure
heart," says St. Augustine, " is a heart empty of all
Cupidity." In fact, adds St. Bernard, he that loves
rod, thinks only of loving him, and desires nothing
else: "He that loves, loves and knows nothing else."2
When one. burns with the love for God, one knows not
how to devote one's self to the love of any earthly
object.
Hence, just as students should give from year to year
proofs of their advancement in the sciences, so those
that wish to sanctify themselves should labor to acquire
not only from year to year, but from day to day, a
great love for God. They should endeavor to increase
in themselves holy love by often repeating acts of love,
by offering to God every action that they begin, with the
intention of performing it only to please him, and by
always begging him to grant them the light and the
strength necessary to accomplish the good desires with
which he inspires them.
St. Thomas of Villanova used to say: "To convert
1 " Cor purum est cor vacuum ab omni cupiditate."
2 " Qui amat, amat, et aliud novit nihil." — In Cant. s. 83.
45 2 Appendix.
sinners and make them come forth from the mire of
their iniquities, we need arrows of fire; but how can
these arrows of fire come forth from an icy heart that
is not animated by the love of God ?" Experience per
mits us to see that a priest with moderate science, but
burning with love for Jesus Christ, draws more souls
to God than many learned and excellent orators who
charm people by their eloquence. The latter, with their
beautiful thoughts, their rare acquirements, and their
ingenious reflections, send away their hearers greatly
satisfied with the discourse that they have heard; but
they go away deprived of the love for God, and per
haps colder than when they came. But is such a suc
cess of profit to the common good ? and what profit
does the preacher draw therefrom, if it is not to be
more full of himself and more responsible before God,
since instead of the fruit that his sermon could have
produced, he obtains only vain praises that yield
nothing? He who, on the contrary, preaches Jesus
crucified in a simple manner, not to be praised, but
only to make him loved, descends from the pulpit rich
in the merit of all the good that he has done, or at least
that he desired to do for his hearers.
All that has been said above concerns not only
preachers, but also those that are charged with teaching
and those that hear confessions. How much good can
not a professor do in teaching sciences, in instilling into
his pupils the maxims of true piety! The same thing
holds good of confessors.
To this must be added the happy fruits that one may
produce in conversing with others. We cannot always
preach; but what good may not be done in conversa
tion by a priest, who is well instructed and who is holy,
when he speaks adroitly, when an occasion presents it
self, of the vanity of worldly grandeur, of conformity to
the will of God, of the necessity of recommending one's
Exhortation to Young Students. 453
self without ceasing to the protection of Heaven in the
midst of so many temptations with which we have to
struggle!
May the Lord deign to give us the light and the
strength of which we stand in need in order to employ
the days that still remain to us in loving him and in
doing his will, since only this is profitable, and all the
rest is lost!
454 Appendix.
^Discourse 011 tl)e K'mssitj] of Iftctttal JJragct far
priests.*
IF we do not try to become saints, it will be difficult
to sanctify others. If therefore we wish to produce
much fruit in souls, we must necessarily practise medi
tation, and practise it much. Without this practise what
good can we ever hope for ourselves and for others ?
With desolation is all the land made desolate, says the Holy
Ghost, why? — because there is none that considereth in the
heart.1 The Holy Ghost speaks thus of the neglect of
mental prayer; and if it is this that causes the ruin of
every one, with how much greater reason should not
this defect cause the ruin of the priest!
If you desire to see what is the necessity of mental
prayer for the priest, you should this evening consider
with me these two points: I say, in speaking of a priest
without mental prayer:
First, it is difficult for him to save his soul;
Secondly, it is impossible for him to attain perfection.
Let us pray to the Holy Ghost to enlighten us.
1 " Desolatione desolata est omnis terra: quia nullus est qui recogitet
corde." — Jer. xii. n.
* This discourse, which remained unpublished till 1869, was found
among the manuscripts of St. Alphonsus preserved at Rome. From
its context we see that it was composed for retreats that are given to
priests and to candidates for Holy Orders, and it seems that it was com
posed before 1737, since the author gives on page 446 only the title of
Blessed to St. John Francis Regis, canonized at this time by Pope
Clement XI L— ED.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 455
/ will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes. *
Ah! how happy should I be, O my God! if I were but
dust and ashes! I am worse than that: I am a rebel,
having had the boldness to offend Thee, who art the
supreme good! But Thou hast come into this world in
order that poor sinners may have life, and may have it
more abundantly? Enlighten me, therefore, O Lord!
speak to me, for I wish to listen to Thee: Speak, Lord,
for Thy servant heareth? Tell me what I have to do to
please Thee and to sanctify myself.
Mary, my hope; thou dost fulfil the beautiful office,
so conformable to thy heart all full of love and mercy,
of being pacifier between sinners and God; for pity's
sake, exert thyself also in my behalf, O my Sovereign
Lady!
I.
Without Mental Prayer it is Difficult for a Priest to Save
his Soul.
With desolation is all the land made desolate, because there
is none that considereth in the heart. These last words,
considereth in the heart, I understand to mean mental
prayer: it is to meditate on the law of God, on eternity,
on one's own duties, on the things of God. Let us see
how difficult it is for a priest to save his soul without
prayer; here is the way in which I reason:
It is certain that a priest, in order to save his soul,
must fulfil all the duties of a priest, — duties of which
we have already shown the greatness; and to fulfil all
these duties he needs to be continually aided by the
hand of the all-powerful God. It is true that God is
ready to aid us; but what does the Lord desire ? He
1 " Loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et r.inis." — Gen,
xviii. 27.
2 " Ut vitam habeant, et abundantius habeant." — John, x. 10.
3 " Loquere, Domine, quia audit servus. tuus." — i Kings, iii. 9.
456 Appendix.
desires that we should continually ask all the help that
is necessary for us; and if we do not ask him for it he
will not give it to us. You know the common opinion
of theologians, that prayer, — that is to say, the asking
for graces, — on the part of every one that has attained
the age of reason, is necessary as a means of salvation;
otherwise we cannot be saved. Ask, and you shall receive,
He that does not ask will not receive.
Now a priest that does not make mental prayer,
when will he reflect on his duties as a priest? under
what circumstances will he ask God for the necessary
help ? It will happen, that walking blindly without
looking where or how he walks, he will hardly think of
asking God's help; he will hardly think of the necessity
in which he is of asking for it; or rather, without prayer
he will not even think of his duties as a priest; and so
how will he save his soul ? Cardinal Bellarmine thinks
it to be morally impossible for any Christian to fulfil
the duties of a simple Christian without mental prayer;
for how much greater reason should we not believe
that this is impossible for a priest who has greater
duties than a simple Christian! My dear patroness St.
Teresa also says that to obtain God's grace the only
door is mental prayer, and she speaks expressly of men
tal prayer: " This door being closed," she says, " I know
not how grace will reach the soul." If the saint does
not know, I declare that I know much less how a priest
without mental prayer will receive all the graces neces
sary to save his soul.
Let us consider, in the first place, how much light a
priest needs for himself and for others so as to save his
soul. He must keep himself pure in the midst of the
seductions of the flesh; he must avoid the occasions in
which he is exposed to lose God; he must give wise
counsel to others, since he is the master of the people,
1 Life, ch. 8..
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 45 7
especially if he is a confessor; he has to place souls on
the road that leads to God, so often to resolve doubts
unexpectedly, to give advice in every confession, and
then to render an account of all to Jesus Christ.
Now how will he receive this light unless he makes
mental prayer ?
Mental prayer, says St. Bonaventure,1 is a torch
which on this earth of darkness shows us the road on
which we should walk. St. Bernard, treating of the
same subject, says that mental prayer is like a mirror:
this comparison pleases me much. If one has a stain on
one's countenance and one looks in the mirror, one
sees it and takes it away; without this mirror, the stain
remains, and will always remain; as one does not see
it, one does not take it away. So it is with mental
prayer: if we have a defect, if we find ourselves in a
dangerous occasion, when we go to mental prayer, as if
going before the mirror, we see in our conscience this
defect that we have, we see this danger of losing God;
we see it and we take it away.
Even though one should have had the misfortune of
falling over the precipice, if one practises mental prayer
with perseverance, one will surely come forth from it.
Hence we quote the remark made by a master of the
spiritual life: With sin there can often be united some act
'virtuous in itself, as, for instance, to be in the state of sin
and to give alms, to be worldly and to be patient; but
mental prayer and sin cannot remain united together.
Why ? Because if we begin voluntarily to make mental
prayer, — there are some that go to mental prayer by
force, and then it will do them no good, — if, I say, we
go to it voluntarily, either we shall give up mental
prayer, or we shall give up sin. And according to St.
Teresa,2 however great may be the ruin of a soul, if it
perseveres in mental prayer, it is sure that the Lord will
1 Diat. sal tit. 2, c. 5. 2 Life, ch. 8,
45 8 Appendix.
bring it back to the haven of salvation. But if this soul
does not go to mental prayer, because it does not think
of it, or thinks of it but little, it will continue to live in
its faults, in the dangerous occasions in which it finds
itself, and it will end by falling into the abyss. Why ?
Because it walks in darkness, without light; it will find
itself at the bottom of the precipice without knowing in
what manner it fell over it.
Come ye to Him and be enlightened.1 What light would
we wish to have if we do not approach God by means
of mental prayer ? Where have so many saints, I ask,
where, without studying theology, have so many simple
men and women, so well learned divine things if it was
not in mental prayer, this school of the saints ? Such
was a St. Hildegarde, who composed several books about
holy Scripture; a St. Magdalene de Pazzi, who spoke
so admirably of the perfection of God; a St. Teresa,
who wrote so well on mental prayer that she has be
come the admiration of the whole world, and the
Church wishes us to ask God for the grace of profiting
by her heavenly doctrine: " So we feed to our ghostly
health upon her heavenly teaching."5 Let us add a
St. Thomas Aquinas, who confessed that all that he
knew he had learnt in mental prayer; likewise a St.
Bonaventure, who said that he never had any other
Master than Jesus crucified. Come ye to Him and be en
lightened.
Let us, moreover, consider how much strength a priest
needs to overcome so many enemies, both exterior and
interior, that are continually laying snares for his soul.
These enemies are the world, persecutions, human re
spect, passions, evil inclinations, temptations of the
devil. Oh, how much more trouble does not the devil
take to make a priest fall than to make a secular fall!
1 " Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini." — Ps. xxxiii. 6.
2 " Coelestis ejus doctrinae pabulo nutriamur."
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 459
And why? Because if he succeeds in bringing to his fall
a priest, he obtains a greater prey, and causes greater
displeasure to God Again, the fall of a priest is accom
panied by the fall of many others; for a bad priest by
falling into the precipice does not fall into it alone;
he drags down with him many others: and this is the
reason why the devil makes so many efforts to ruin a
priesL How, then, can he undertake without mental
prayer to overcome all these temptiatons, especially if
he is a secular priest, who has to live in the midst of the
world, exposed to the danger of meeting with so many
dangerous objects — at times in the same house in which
he lives? and if he is a confessor, whe'n hearing the con
fessions of young persons, of children, of women; when
hearing the history of their miseries, of their frailties?
But then you will say, The priest takes the place of
God. Ah! dear Fathers, while receiving the sacerdotal
character, we neverthless remain earthly beings, weak,
frail, liable to fall. How often must we not, as it were,
sweat blood in order to overcome a suggestion of the
devil! And without mental prayer how shall we do this ?
how shall we acquire the strength to resist so many
enemies ? Let us hear what St. Teresa says: " He that
neglects mental prayer has no need of being taken to
hell by demons: he will cast himself into it." *
When, on the contrary, we apply to mental prayer,
what strength do we not continually derive from this holy
exercise in order to resist all the attacks of hell! What
shalt thou see in the Sulamitess but the companies of campst
The Sulamitess represents the soul given to mental
prayer, which by this powerful means becomes for all
its enemies terrible as an army set in array? The soul is
then able to conquer all its passions, all bad inclinations.
1 Life, ch. 19.
" Quid videbis in Sulamite nisi chores castrorum ?" — Cant. vii. i.
3 " Terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata." — Cant. vi. 3.
460 Appendix.
These vicious tendencies are produced only by our
corrupt nature, and it is very difficult to conquer them
without much mental prayer; but by means of this
prayer we overcome them easily. The soul in mental
prayer is like iron in the fire: when the iron is cold it is
difficult to work; but when it is put into the fire it be
comes soft, and allows itself to be easily worked: so it
is with the soul. A master of the spiritual life calls it a
furnace, because as the fire softens the iron and renders
it easy to work, so mental prayer makes it easy for the
soul to overcome its passions. For example, some one
receives an affront, an injury that wounds his self-love:
before mental prayer, it is very difficult to him to over
come the passion that incites him to grow angry, to de
fend himself, and even to furnish him at times with
pretexts to make him believe that this is necessary.
The iron is yet cold, it must be put into the fire. Let
this troubled soul enter mental prayer, and at once the
sweet flame of the Holy Ghost touches it, and an in
terior voice tells him: Is it not better to bear that with
out resenting it ? Leave rather your defence to God,
as your divine Master did when he was calumniated, — he
who was more innocent than you! At once the iron loses
its hardness; the soul is softened, is appeased: with
out mental prayer, it would have been otherwise.
St. John Chrysostom l says that in a soul mental
prayer is as a fountain in a garden. Oh, how beautiful
is a garden when a fountain continually waters it with
its vivifying waters ! how fresh the verdure, how resplen
dent the flowers, how abundant the fruit! Take away
the fountain, and everything will languish and dry up
— grass, flowers, fruits, and plants. Hence how quickly
does one recognize a priest who makes mental prayer!
See his manner of saying Mass, of preaching, of con
versing! See his humility and modesty in his actions, in
1 Ad pop. Ant. horn. 79.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 46 1
his whole conduct! He is the garden of the Lord, a
garden enclosed.1 It is closed to vices, to passions; it is
filled with flowers and fruits of virtues; it is a paradise:
Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the fruits of
the orchard? And why ? Because it is the fountain of gar
dens, the well of living waters? Mental prayer is the
source of living waters that continually waters the gar
den. Take away mental prayer, take away the fountain,
and then we say Mass and the Office with precipitation;
we preach in a different manner. Show me your beauti
ful detachment, your beautiful humility, your beautiful
modesty, . . . after the fountain has been taken away.
A priest without mental prayer is a garden without
water, just as David said of himself in reference to the
time when he was far from God: My soul is as earth with
out water unto Thee." He is not even a priest; he is the
corpse of a priest, according to the saying of St. John
Chrysostom: " As the body cannot live without the
soul, so the soul without prayer is dead and malodor
ous." '' Oh, how one perceives even from afar the bad
odor of a priest who does not make mental prayer!
Happy, on the contrary, he who meditates on the law
of God, who applies himself to the holy exercise of men
tal prayer. The Holy Ghost compares him to a tree
planted by the rivers of water/'
1 " Hortus conclusus." — Cant. iv. 12.
2 " Emissiones tuae, paradisus malorum punicorum, cum pomorum
fructibus." — Ibid. 13.
3 " Fons hortorum, puteus aquarum viventium." — Ibid. 15.
4 " Anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi." — Ps. cxlii. 6.
5 "Sicut corpus, sine anima, non potest vivere, sic anima, sine ora-
tione, mortua est, et graviter olens." — De or. Deo, 1. i.
6 Ps. i. 3.
462 Appendix.
n.
Without Mental Prayer it is Impossible for the Priest
to Attain Perfection.
We now enter upon the second point, in which we
must consider that, as it is difficult for a priest to save
his soul without mental prayer, so it is impossible for
him to attain perfection.
I suppose that, without dwelling specially on this
point, every priest well knows the obligation under
which he is of striving to attain perfection. Let us
therefore come to the point.
Observe, says the Holy Spirit to us, that the trees
planted far from the water, dry up, grow but little, or
do not grow straight, while those that are found on the
banks of a stream are vigorous, straight, and high. Thus
men of mental prayer show themselves full of life and
strength : they are straight, having only God before their
eyes; they attain a great height, growing always in vir
tue: Like a tree which is planted near the running waters,
which shall bring forth its fruit in due season- and his leaf
shall not fall off.1 They will not lose a leaf, that is, they
will not lose a moment of their life, because either actu
ally or virtually they always advance in perfection or in
divine love, — holy charity, — which is the cause of per
fection in our soul, as St. Paul says: Have charity, which
is the bond of perfection? The sweet furnace in which
souls are inflamed by this celestial fire, with which the
saints on earth and the blessed in heaven are burning,
is mental prayer: In my meditation a fire shall flame out,
says David.3
1 " Tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum,
quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo; et folium ejus non defluet."
— Ps. i. 3.
2 " Charitatem habete, quod est vinculum perfectionis." — Col. iii. 14.
3 " In meditatione mea exardescet ignis." — Ps. xxxviii. 4.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 463
We complain that we are lukewarm and feeble; but
need we be astonished at this if we remain from mental
prayer? Why do we not try to enter often this happy
cellar of love, where, having been scarcely introduced,
the Spouse of the Canticles feels herself all set on fire
with charity ? He brought me into the cellar of wine, He set
in order charity in me.1
We feel ourselves cold in divine love: why, then, do
we not often go to converse with God ? Why do we not
approach Him who is called a devouring fire: Thy God
is a consuming fire? We approach God by means of
mental prayer, says St. John Climacus.3 Let us sup
pose the heart to be very cold, entirely deprived of love
towards God: if it perseveres in mental prayer, it is
certain that this God, who is so faithful and never
allows himself to be outdone in generosity, will end by
inflaming it with his holy love; the fire should produce
its effect. If at times, while conversing with a person
who truly loves God, we feel ourselves excited by the
ardor that he communicates to us to love God also, how
much more shall we not be inflamed with this celestial
fire by often conversing with God himself!
God speaks, yes, God speaks to souls that seek him
sincerely; but when does he speak to them? Is it in
society, in visits, where we lose whole hours in useless
conversation? No; there God does not speak. If a
soul wishes to hear me, says the Lord, let it leave the
society of men, let it retire into solitude, and make
mental prayer; it is there that I wish to speak to it: /
will lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her
heart." There I will make the soul hear my word, this
1 " Introduxit me in cellam vinariam, ordinavit in me charitatem."
— Cant. ii. 4.
'2 " Deus tuus ignis consumens est." — Dcut. iv. 24.
" Oratio est hominis conjunctio cum Deo." — Scala par. gr. 28.
4 " Ducam earn in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor ejus." — Os. ii. 14.
464 Appendix.
word full and substantial, which in making itself heard,
produces the effect that it signifies, and is not only an
exhortation, but a power that makes others act rightly.
Where, in fact, have the saints learned to love God if
it was not in mental prayer ? Where did a St. Philip
Neri receive a love so ardent, that his poor heart, not
being able to support it, two ribs expanded so as to
give more space to its palpitations ? Where was a St.
Peter of Alcantara inflamed with such a love for God
that, in order not to die of this love, he was obliged to
go into the field, and sometimes throw himself upon the
ice ? Where was a St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi in
flamed with the same fire, she going nearly out of her
self on account of this love ? Where was a St. Teresa
wounded, — she who has written of herself, that when
she began to practise mental prayer, only then she be
gan to feel what it is to love God ?
Ah! dear Fathers, let us not think that mental prayer
is an exercise only peculiar to solitaries, and not to
those that are occupied in an active life. Tertullian calls
all priests " persons devoted to prayer and contempla
tion." ' The Apostles were not solitaries; they were
very great workers of the Gospel throughout the world.
Now what did they do in order to have time to devote
themselves to mental prayer? They appointed deacons
who were charged with the care of inferior things, and
they said: But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word? Note the words, prayer and
the ministry of the word; at first prayer, and then preach
ing, because without prayer we can do no good. What
matters it that we are not solitaries, called to a con
templative life? If we wish to sanctify ourselves by
becoming good evangelical laborers, it will be neces-
1 " Genus deditum oration! et contemplation!."
2 " Nos vero orationi et ministerio verbi instantes erimus. " — Acts,
vi. 4.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 465
sary that we apply ourselves to mental prayer, and
much mental prayer; not a quarter, or half an hour in
passing, but much more, much more; otherwise it will,
morally speaking, be impossible for us to become saints.
In the midst of our greatest labors we must always
find time to give a little rest to our soul, as Jesus Christ
has enjoined upon the Apostles: Rest a little.1 In retreat
and in mental prayer the soul sits down, as it were, and
takes rest, and gathers new strength to work better.
He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace, because he hath
taken it upon himself? When a soul comes forth from
mental prayer it is quite changed. Hence I think
highly of the good practice of those that reserve for
themselves every week a day of retreat, a day entirely
consecrated to the repose of the soul. On this day we
do not hear confessions, we do not study: we apply
only to mental prayer, to spiritual reading, to holy
solitude. There are religious institutes that allow every
week a day of recreation for the body, in order that the
body may have more strength to work, and be better
able to resist fatigue. Why should we not also give to
the soul a day of spiritual recreation, so that it may be
better able to bear the fatigue, considering that in ex
terior works it becomes always a little dissipated ?
Yes, I repeat, we stand much in need of mental
prayer, of not a quarter of an hour, nor half an hour,
but much more. Show me an apostolic laborer who
has sanctified himself without much mental prayer; as
for myself, I can find none. I see that St. Francis
Xavier, the wonder of apostolic workers, spent most of the
night in the churches to make mental prayer, and that
after a short rest which he took in the sacristy he went
to pour out the affections of his heart before the Blessed
Sacrament, where the Lord so filled him with his con-
1 " Requiescite pnsillum." — Mark, vi. 31.
2 " Scdebit solitarius, et tacebit, quia levavit super se. " — Lam. Hi. 28.
466 Appendix.
solations that he cried out: "It is enough, O Lord, it
is enough!" : I read of the Blessed John Francis Regis,
the great missionary of France, that after having spent
the whole day in preaching and hearing confessions,
instead of resting, he went before the door of the
church, which was closed, and conversed there with his
God during the whole night. You know what were the
labors of a St. Philip Neri, and what was his love for
prayer. St. Vincent Ferrer, the apostle of Spain, used
to make before preaching an hour's meditation. All
evangelical laborers have only imitated in this their
model and chief, Jesus Christ, who spent sometimes the
whole night in prayer: He passed the whole night in the
prayer of God?
Undoubtedly, when God commands us to leave men
tal prayer in order to labor for the salvation of souls
we must obey by leaving God for God. Let us then
apply ourselves to the good of our neighbor as much as
it is necessary; but let us not lose time: let us avoid
useless conversations, and not listen to vain discourses.
The time lost is a thing that God does not command.
As soon as we are free let us return to prayer. And
even in the midst of our occupations, while hearing
confessions, preaching, or doing anything else, we
must always preserve in our hearts the little cell of St.
Catharine of Sienna, where we may be anxious to enter
from time to time in order to speak to God by an act
of love or some ejaculatory prayer. We must also take
care not to lose sight of holy solitude, and not cease to
love it. We should imitate the Spouse of the Canticles,
who said to his Well-beloved: Flee away, O My beloved,
. . upon the mountains of aromatic al spices? She did not
wish that the divine Spouse should depart from her and
1 "Sat est, Domine, sat est!"
2 " Erat pernoctans in oratione Dei." — Luke, vi. 12.
3 " Fuge, Dilecte mi ... super monies aromatum." — Cant. viii. 14.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 46 7
abandon her; but knowing that he was accustomed to
speak in solitude, she begged him to retire to the solitary
mountains, so that she might be able to converse with
him alone. It is thus that in our labors, and then more
than ever, we should sigh after happy solitude, desiring
ardently, as a thirsty hart desires the fountain of
waters, to see the moment of prayer arrive in order to
go to converse alone with God.
And how long should we converse with God ? Would
it be a very great thing to give ourselves up to prayer
for two hours a day, one hour in the morning, the other
in the evening? Let us devote ourselves to it at least
for an hour every day. Ah! I would regard it as a suc
cess if, with God's help, I should obtain as the fruit of
this retreat that some among you, even if it were only
one of you, would desire to increase a little the time
given to prayer. You at least who are candidates for
ordination do so; increase the time of mental prayer;
all depends on the good habit that you acquire in the
beginning. For those who for a number of years have
the habit of making, for example, a half-hour's medi
tation, and not more, it would be difficult to add
more to it; they would believe that it would be an in
jury to them to add more mental prayer.
No, I repeat, it is not a great sacrifice to spend every
day two hours in conversing with Jesus Crucified or
with the Blessed Sacrament. / sat down under His
shadow, whom I desired? Oh! what a paradise to be able
to speak with Jesus Christ exposed during the Forty
Hours' devotion, or under other circumstances, or to
visit some solitary church where the Blessed Sacrament
is kept! Seculars, to our shame be it said, spend there
sometimes whole hours. It is precisely to converse
often with us that our dear Saviour remains on earth in
1 " Sub umbra illins quern desideraveram, sedi." — Cant. ii. 3.
468 Appendix.
the Blessed Sacrament; when he is shut up there, he
asks, he prays, so to speak, that we go to speak to him.
But you will perhaps say, Two hours! — that is too
much. How! it would be too much, two hours of men
tal prayer! Do you not then know what mental prayer
is? It consists in speaking familiarly with God, as a
friend speaks with a friend, says St. Teresa. In mental
prayer we find those wings so greatly desired by the
Royal Prophet, by the aid of which he raised himself up
to perfection: -Who will give me wings like a dove, and I
will fly and be at rest?1 What perfection could we ever
acquire without mental prayer ? It is an excellent
school in which one learns the heavenly science of the
saints. Permit me still to say before finishing, So
many studies to which we devote ourselves, so many
languages that we wish to know, so much knowledge,
so many various sciences that we try to master, are
without doubt good: no one denies that; they may be
useful. It would, however, be better first to study Holy
Scripture, the Canons, Dogmatic Theology, to be ready
to satisfy also this modern erudition that is diffused
throughout the world. But what is above all neces
sary to us is the beautiful science of the saints, which
consists in loving God; a science that we learn, not in
books, but before the Crucifix, before the Blessed
Sacrament.
Mental prayer, then, dear Fathers, mental prayer!
The more we desire to labor for the salvation of souls,
the more we need light and strength, since we are to give
light and strength to others. What warmth and what
light can be communicated to other lamps by a lamp
that scarcely burns, that is in danger of being extin
guished ? Ah! would to God that it would not occur
daily that a priest who devotes himself to the salvation
5 " Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbae, et volabo, et requiescam."
— Ps. liv. 7.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 469
of souls, having himself but little fervor, little love for
God, become-s more and more lukewarm, even falls
sometimes over the precipice, and ends by losing God!
How many examples of a similar misfortune do exist!
Do you not yourselves know of some priest, who, wish
ing to hear confessions, to convert others, has after
wards succumbed to the occasions, and in them has lost
God?
After this we say that it is too much to spend two
hours in mental prayer! Such was not the thought of
a St. Francis Borgia, who after eight hours of prayer
asked the favor of a quarter of an hour more; a St.
Rose of Lima, who spent twelve hours a day in prayer;
a St. Anthony the Abbot, who, after having devoted
the whole night to prayer, complained in the morning
that the sun arose so soon and obliged him to finish.
And how many young virgins, how many seculars, even
mechanics, make four, five, and six hours of mental
prayer! Is this not a subject of confusion for us who
are priests ? Will they not have to judge us on the last
day? Ah, priests of the Lord! let us not allow our
selves to be surpassed by others in the love for God,
while as priests we are under greater obligations than
others to love him. Let us not lose any more time;
who knows how many days are still left us to live ? Let
us love God, at least on account of the great desire and
the firm will that he has of being loved by us who are
his priests.
O my God! it is then true that Thou wishest to be
loved by me. And of what use will life be if I do not
employ it entirely to love Thee, who art my Lord and
my God, my supreme and only good ? I am not worthy
to love Thee; but Thou art infinitely worthy of being
loved; Thou hast all the qualities that render Thee
amiable: Thou art beautiful, loving, beneficent, faith
ful; what dost Thou need more to be loved ? There
470 Appendix.
remains only one thing to be done: it is, that I love
Thee. But why should I not love Thee, O my God!
Why ? what should I love if I do not love Thee ? Out
side of Thee, to whatever side I turn, I find nothing
amiable; I see only creatures, earthly objects; I see
only smoke and misery. " O fire that dost always
burn," I will say with St. Augustine, "inflame me!"
O God, who art all afire with love, thoroughly inflame
me, consume me with love for Thee!
Have we a better means to love God than continually
to ask him for his holy love ? I desire, says Jesus
Christ to us, I desire to inflame thy heart as thou desirest,
thou who art my priest; but come to mental prayer:
Arise, My love, my beautiful one, and come? I expect thee
in solitude; it is there that I have prepared for thee the
abundance of my favors.
Ah, dear Fathers, of what advantage is it not to love
God! The only thing that we find at the moment of
death will be to have loved God — nothing more. If we
have obtained honors, possessed a convenient house, suc
ceeded in our undertakings, at the end what shall we
find ? Nothing but that we have loved God. Alas!
what are we doing in this world, if we are not occupied
therein in loving God ? Should we seek to amass
riches, to gain the esteem of others, to enjoy pleasures,
to acquire honors ? What interest have we in the
world ? / have chosen you out of the world? God has
withdrawn us from the world, and we should wish to
throw ourselves again into it? Ah! the world, honors,
pleasures! let us live, and let us live only in order to
love God; and to do this, let us devote ourselves to
prayer, to prayer. By this means we shall have the
1 " O ignis qui semper ardes! accende me." — Solil. an. ad D. c. 19.
2 " Veni, columba mea in foraminibus petrae, in caverna maceriae."-
Cant. ii. 13.
3 " Elegi vos de mundo. " — John, xv. 19.
Necessity of Mental Prayer. 4 7 1
happiness of leaving this world while thanking God, like
the glorious martyr St. Agatha, who said at the moment
of her death: " O Lord, who hast taken from me the
love of the world! receive now my soul." ' Ah! a thou
sand times happy shall we be if we can then also say:
" The kingdom of this world and all the beauty of life
I have esteemed as nothing, for the excellency of the
love of Jesus Christ my Lord." '
0 Mary, my tender Mother! thou whose whole life
was a continual prayer, since even sleep did not hinder
thee from keeping thyself united with God, deign to
remember us. Thou didst do to St. Rose the charity to
awaken her when it was time for prayer: in the same
way, when thou seest us fallen asleep in negligence, in
lukewarmness, have the kindness to come to awaken
us, and to recall us to the duty of attending to prayer,
which should inflame us with love for God and for thee,
so that afterwards we may be able to go to love thee
for all eternity in paradise.
Live Jesus and Mary: with Joseph and Teresa!
1 " Domine, qui abstulisti a me amorem sseculi, accipe animam
meam." — Off. 5 febr.
2 " Regnum mundi et omnem ornatum sseculi contempsi, propter
amorem Domini mei Jesu Christi!" — Comm. non Virg.
INDEX.
A
ABNEGATION, see Interior Mortification.
AMBITION, it causes the ruin of souls, 351.
ANGER, it must be repressed, 323.
APPETITE, see Taste.
AVARICE, horror that a priest should have of it, 345.
B
BISHOPS, their responsibility with regard to Masses celebrated with-
out due respect, 223. As to what concerns the candidates for
ordination, see Vocation.
BLESSED SACRAMENT, daily visit to it, in what it consists, 432.
BLINDNESS of the soul caused by impurity, 113.
C
CHARITY, we should render good for evil, 444. Charity that a con
fessor should have, 274.
CHASTITY, the merit of this virtue, 243; its necessity in the priest,
108, 243, and in the candidate for the priesthood, 197; means of
preserving chastity, 247, 309, 375, 435; dangers to be avoided,
252, 276, 435.
CLERIC, what this name signifies, 54.
COMMUNION, it effaces venial sins, 103; after Communion the Lord
dispenses his grace most abundantly, 227.
COMPANY, DANGEROUS, we must avoid it, 254, 257, 435.
CONFESSORS: power that they exercise, 26, charity and firmness
which they must have, 274; many err by too great rigor or too
great indulgence, 20, 277; how to act in regard to those living in
the occasion of sin, 281, and those who are relapsing sinners,
283, 285, and habitual sinners, 285. Obligation for every priest
to hear confessions, and to render himself capable of doing so,
158, 182, 265, 271, The knowledge required to hear confessions
474 Index.
well, 273. When one may shorten the thanksgiving to go to
hear confessions, 429.
CONFIDENCE with which sinners should be animated, 21 Our faults
should not make us lose confidence, 318, 436. Confidence that
one should have in the Blessed Virgin, 414.
CONFORMITY to the will of God, a principal means of sanctifying one's
self, 403, 441.
CONTEMPT must be borne, 320, 330; those that love God are de
lighted when receiving contempt, 334.
D
DEATH, we should wish for it in order to go promptly to heaven and
to be delivered from the danger of losing it, 442. We should
assist the dying, 181, 193.
DESIRE for perfection, first means of sanctifying one's self, 391. De
sire for death, 442.
DESOLATIONS, spiritual, they cannot prevent us from making medi
tation, 293.
DIGNITY of the priest, 23, 154; see Priest.
DIRECTOR, spiritual, one should obey him as one obeys God, 357,
358, 434-
DISTRUST of one's self, necessary to evangelical laborers, 315.
DRESS of priests, should be modest, 373, 435.
ELOQUENCE simple and popular, the most profitable manner of preach
ing, even when the people are well instructed, 269; see Preach
ing.
END of the priesthood, 39, and of the works of the priest, 19, 177,
217, 267.
END, final, the people as well as priests, should often be put in mind
of it, 20.
EXAMPLE, or good example which the priest must give, 62, 140, 230,
239, 266, 451, 454.
EXAMPLES quoted: the respect that princes should show to the priest,
30; even the angels honor him, 31; the saints dreaded the
sacerdotal office, 39, 186; zeal for the salvation of souls, 170;
reward of this zeal, 174; zeal in regard to the saying of Mass,
228; scandal given by saying Mass without devotion, 221, and
without making thanksgiving, 226; tepidity in the service of God,
100; blindness of the soul produced by an impure passion, 116;
punishment of this vice, 117, 119; means to conquer it, or the
Index. 475
recitation of the " Hail Mary," 263; indiscreet severity, 327;
flight from dangerous occasions, 253, 256; temptations caused by
looks, 365; modesty of the eyes, 370; consequences of vanity
and of pride, 310, 312; false humility, 319; sobriety, 374; pen
ances self imposed, 377; patience amid inconveniences and
humiliations, 330, 332, 335, 366, 379, 399.
EXERCISES, spiritual, admonitions necessary for him who gives the
spiritual exercises to priests, 19, Monthly retreat, recommended,
434-
EYES, we should mortify them, 367.
F
FIRMNESS, necessary to the confessor, 274.
FORTITUDE, necessary in the confessor, 276.
G
GAMES: there are some that are simple, and the others are not suit
able for priests, 251.
GLUTTONY, a pernicious vice, which should be overcome before all
things, 374, 430.
H
HABITUAL sinners, how the priest should treat them, 285.
HAIR, modesty in wearing it, 373.
HONORS, the priest should be detached from them, 351.
HUMILITY, a necessary virtue in the priest, 305, especially to obtain
and to preserve chastity, 260, 309. Practice of humility: to
have a horror of pride, 309; not to glory in the good that we do,
312; we must distrust ourselves, 315, accept humiliation, 319, 444.
False humility, 319, 443.
I
IDLENESS, dangerous to chastity, 258.
INCONTINENCE, the evil that it creates, 107; its malice in a priest, 109;
its sad consequences, blindness of the soul, 113; obstinacy of
the will, 117; eternal damnation, 119. Decrees against incontinent
ecclesiastics, 108. Remedies against this vice, 120; see Chastity.
INTENTION required to enter holy Orders, 192. Intention or end
that the evangelical laborer should have, 19, 177, 396. The in
tention of pleasing God in all things is a great means of sanctify
ing one's self, 395, 439.
JESUS CHRIST died to institute the priesthood, and he gives himself
up into the priest's hands, 26. Price that is attached to the souls of
men, 167. We must love him in order to preach well, and it is the
476 Index.
science of the saints, 296, 450. How much he deserved to be
loved, 386; and how much he loves a soul that is devoted to him,
389. He wishes us to think of his Passion, and we cannot often
think of it without loving him, 215, 387, 438. When we love
him, we suffer all with joy, 334. We find in him a model of de
votion to prayer, 289, of meekness, 322, of mortification, 339.
L
LAW-SUITS, the priest should not take charge of those of others, nor
of his own, 349.
LOVE, divine, science of the saints, true wisdom which we should pre
fer to everything else, 295, 449, 470; it procures joy in sufferings
and humiliations, 394; how one acquires it, 391, 395, 436, 438.
The priest should belong entirely to God, 384. See Jesus Christ
and Sanctity.
M
MANIPLE, its origin, 217.
MARY, Mother of God, necessity of her intercession, 409, and con
fidence that we should have in it, 414, how good is devotion
to Mary in order to obtain and preserve purity, 263. Practice of
devotion to Mary, 421, 442; fasts in her honor, 431, 442; visits,
432, 442. A priest should strive to make her loved and honored,
421, 442.
MASS, whence its name, 217. Mass renders to God an infinite honor,
25, 122, 209. Benefit that confers upon the world, 210, 224, and
what it should above all confer upon the celebrant, 213, 225. In
Mass, Jesus Christ obeys the priest, 26. Sanctity that it requires
of the priest, 48, no, 122, 212, 214. The respect and devotion
with which he should celebrate Mass, 217. How great a crime
of the priest who celebrates in the state of mortal sin, 125; he
commits four mortal sins, 129. Faults that many priests commit
in celebrating, 218, Mass said in less than a quarter of an hour
canaot be excused from a grievous sin, 220. The preparation,
213, 428; one should propose to one's self three ends, 217.
Thanksgiving, 226,428; when one may shorten it, 429. Priests
who abstain from saying Mass through humility, 228. Responsi
bility of bishops in regard to Mass, 223.
MAXIMS, spiritual, for a priest, 446.
MEEKNESS, merit of this virtue, 322. It gains hearts for God, 332. Its
practice: to repress anger, 323; to bear with contempt, 330. It
does not prevent one from being just and severe, 325. We
should practise it also towards ourselves, 328.
Index. 477
MENTAL prayer, how necessary it is to the priest, 214, 267, 289, 428,
454; without mental prayer it will be difficult for a priest to be
saved, 455, and impossible for him to attain perfection, 462.
Mental prayer and mortification are the principal means to
sanctify one's self, 340. The time that we should give to mental
prayer, 214, 467. Answer to excuses: spiritual desolation, 294;
study, 295; labors, 299. We should often meditate on the Pas
sion of Jesus Christ, 215, 387, 438.
MODESTY, a virtue necessary to the priest, 240, 372; modesty in
words, 372, in dress, in his hair, 373, and above all in his looks,
252, 367.
MORTIFICATION in general, how necessary it is, 337; it is the first means
to acquire sanctity, 258, 339; practice: detachment from prop
erty, 345, from honors, 351, from relatives, 354, from self-will,
357; means of conquering self-will, 360. Necessity of exterior
mortification, 362; its fruits, 365; practice: in the pains that
happen to us, and in lawful pleasures, 365; the eyes, 367; in the
whole exterior, 371; in the taste or appetite, 374; in the touch,
377, in the pains that happen of themselves, 379, 399. Sum
mary, 444. The good that is derived from a mortified life, 383.
O
OCCASION, necessity of avoiding it to preserve chastity, 248, 369.
Remote, proximate, voluntary, necessary occasion, 281. How
the confessor should act in regard to those in the occasion of sin,
282.
OFFICE, divine, how to recite it, 302.
ORDERS, sacred, see Priest, Vocation.
P
PARENTS, one need not obey them when there is question of voca
tion, 190. The priest should be detached from his relatives,
354-
PARISH PRIESTS, their responsibility in regard to candidates for ordi
nation, 197.
PASSIONS should be subjected to reason, 341, and one should apply
one's self to the subjugation of the dominant passion, 343.
PATIENCE in pains and humiliations, a great means of sanctifying
one's self, 379, 399.
PENANCE administration of the sacrament of penance, see Confessor.
The priest should often confess, and obey his spiritual director,
357. 358, 434- Penitential works that should be practised, 377.
PERFECTION, see Sanctity.
478 Index.
PRAYER, should often be recommended, 21; it is particularly neces
sary for the priest, 289. It is a great means to obtain and to
preserve chastity, 261. We should pray without ceasing, 445.
To pray well we should practise mental prayer, 292.
PREACHING, it is a duty of the priest, 181, 265. We should begin by
preaching by example, 238, 266, 451, 454. Intention that one
should have, 20, 177, 267. Success should be expected from the
divine mercy, 21, 317. It is necessary that the preacher makes
the discourse his own, 19. He should adopt a simple and
popular manner, 269, and renounce vain ornaments, 20, 268, 452.
Respect and sweetness are necessary in order to convince any
one, 21. He must inspire sinners with confidence, and often
recommend prayer, 21; frequently remind them of the last
things, and speak of practical things, 20, 271.
PREPARATION for Mass, its importance, 213, 429. Preparation is
twofold: remote and proximate, 214. The priest should propose
to himself three ends, 217.
PRIDE, a vice incompatible with chastity, 260, 309. God detests the
proud, 307.
PRIEST, SACERDOS and PRESBYTER, explanation of these names, 46,
157, 234. Dignity of the priest, 23, 154. His power over the
real body and the mystical body of Jesus Christ, 26, 32, 34.
Chief titles which, besides that of priest, express his dignity and
his offices: ambassador of the Church with God, 24; leader of the
flock of Jesus Christ, 187, 231; creator of his Creator, 35; the
husbandman of the vineyard of the Lord, 160; a God on earth,
67, 156; dispenser of the sacraments, 60, and of the royal house of
God, 187; a celestial man, 78, a man of God, 54; interpreter of
the divine law, 187; judge, having the power of the keys, 27, 34;
light of the world, 140, 232; spiritual physician, 160; mediator
between God and men, 34, 59, 179, 216; minister, ambassador,
and co-operator of God, 43, 54, 65, 155; minister of the altar, 55;
mirror of the world, 239; model of virtues, 62, 139, 230; father
of Christians, 144, 160, 234; the salt of the earth, 140, 159, 232;
the temple, the house of God, 109, 160; the vicar of Jesus Christ,
34, 42, 59, 123. He belongs not to himself, but to God, 185.
His charge is formidable, 39, 43, 48, 157, 178; his duties, see
Mass, Preaching, Confessors, Sanctity, etc. Reward of his zeal,
172. If he is a sinner or tepid, he will not easily be converted, 21,
77, 93. When God wishes to chastise a people, he begins with
the priests, 83.
PROPERTY, earthly, one must be detached from it, 345.
PURITY, see Chastity.
Index. 479
R
READING, spiritual, to be made every day, 431.
RELAPSING SINNERS, how the priest should treat them, 283, 285.
RETREAT, monthly, recommended to priests, 434.
RUBRICS of the Mass, they bind under pain of sin, 218, 220.
RULE of life for a secular priest, 427.
RULES spiritual for a priest who aspires to perfection, 436.
SANCTITY which a priest should have, 48, 97, no, 122, 178, 230, 286.
Perfection required for admission to holy Orders, 192; it should
be greater than that of the simply religious, 192. See Chastity,
Mortification, Mental Prayer, Vocation. Rule of life, 427. Spirit
ual Rules, 436. Spiritual Maxims, 446. The priest should labor
for the sanctification of souls, see Souls.
• •
SCANDAL given by the priest, its gravity, its consequences, 138, 231.
SCIENCE requisite in order to take holy Orders, 193; in order to hear
confessions, 273. The science of the saints necessary before all,
296, 449, 468.
SERMON, see Preaching.
SEVERITY, sometimes just and necessary, 326.
SILENCE, one should love it, and should speak only to edify others,
37i, 439-
SiN; gravity of the sins of the priest, 70, 109, 128, 142; chastisement,
75, 113; the sin of scandal, 138. See Incontinence. The little
faults about which one cares not disposes one to grievous faults,
89, 93, 103. A priest cannot be satisfied with avoiding grievous
sins, 97. How venial sins are cancelled, 102. Sin is incom
patible with mental prayer, 292. We should avoid every sin, and
being troubled after sin, 329, 436. The sin of him who enters
holy Orders without a vocation, 198. The confessor should
avoid judging lightly that a sin is a mortal sin, 278.
SOBRIETY, always necessary, 374, 430, especially at supper, 433.
SOLITUDE, how much one should love it, 439.
SOULS, the priest should labor for their salvation, 154, 161, 266;
means to be employed, 178, 265, 422; pleasures that it gives to
God when we labor for the salvation of souls, 166; reward of his
zeal, 172. He should, above all, sanctify himself, 298; he should
fear offices to which the care of souls is attached, 253.
SPEECH, the priest should speak little and in a proper manner, 371.
STUDY: it is necessary for the priest to study Moral Theology, 273;
Study does not prevent one from practising mental prayer, 295;
480 Index.
we should, above all, apply ourselves to making progress in the
science of the saints, 450, 468.
T
TASTE, mortification in eating and drinking, 374, 430, 433.
TEMPTATIONS: the devil tempts one priest more than a hundred
seculars, 85, 101. We must before all pray in temptations, 261.
What he must do amid carnal temptations, 262, 435.
TEPIDITY, a priest is not easily converted from tepidity, 21, 93; his
state, his conduct, 92. Tepidity disposes one to grave faults,
88, 97. How does God begin to vomit forth the tepid priest, 96.
THANKSGIVING after Mass, its importance, the time and the care to
be given to it, 226, 428; when we may abridge it, 429.
THEOLOGY, moral, a difficult science and necessary for the priest,
273-
TOUCH, the sense that must be mortified, 377. ,
TRAFFIC, forbidden to ecclesiastics, 348.
V
VANITY, its dangers and its consequences, 312, 316, 396.
VISITS to be made to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Vir
gin, 432.
VOCATION, divine, its necessity for taking holy Orders, 185, 198.
Vocation is also necessary for every state of life, 201. Marks of
vocation to the priesthood, 189. What a priest should do who
has entered Orders without a vocation, 206.
W
WILL of God, we should conform to it in all things, 403, 441; it is
manifested to us by Superiors and spiritual directors, 359. Self-
will, one should be detached from it, 357.
WINE, dangerous to chastity, 259, 431.
WOMEN: one must avoid looking at them and conversing with them,
250, 367, 435.
Z
ZEAL which the priest should have, 43, 154; end, means, and labors,
177; how much this zeal pleases God, 166; his reward, 172.
•4 -
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